One Piece: A Pirate Fraiy's Life For Me
by Asuth20
Summary: Still the One Piece story you love, but this time with a magical twist. Join two fairy sisters as they go off on an adventure with the Straw Hat pirate's and find a way back home. I don't own One Piece. Just the other characters.
1. Prologue

_"Do you believe in magic?"_ If so then here's another question for you. _"Do you believe in Fairies?"_ Yes, Fairies, but there is more to them then just what you know in story books. They can be in any shape or form, living in the wilderness or among our own towns. With animals on land or with the mermaids and fishes in the sea, simply put they are everywhere.

Long ago, The Fae and humans lived with one another as peacefully as they come, but over time humans started to ignore magic and come to reason that they can not believe what they don't understand from it and use their methods of believes and reasons instead. Very few still believe, so now the Fae hide away living on their own or secretly among humans, doing as they please.

There is a place in the world where all Fae kind and Fae alone live. A place that is the source of all magic and wonders and where they grow, that place is called Avalon. The thing about Avalon is that it is not recorded on any maps nor any compass or Log-pose can lead you to. There isn't even an eternal-pose either, to find Avalon you have to be among or of Fae. Only the people of the Fae can find the island since it is protected by the magic who rule it and Fae together.

There is however another way to find this wonderous land, if you truly desire to find it. Then you must do theses important things to receive the 'Key'; One, you must rely on the strength of your heart, Two have the will power to press forward, Three is to have trust in yourself and others, Four have faith, but the most crucial thing of all is to believe. Have all those at your side and the 'Key' to find Avalon will not be far from your reach.

Only one human was able to have the 'Key' and find the island of the Fair folk. That person was none other then Gold Roger, the king of the pirate's and his fine crew. At first, the rulers of the Fae were concerned, because many years before there was bad blood between pirate's and the Fairies. But Roger proved that he and his men were nothing like those pirate's, they were kind, honorable, marry and very humorous bunch.

After their time on Avalon, the rulers were so fond of their time with Roger and his crew and were relived of their kind spirits that they gave Roger some of their treasures to show him their gratitude, the first was the 'Key', The second was one of Queen Titania's crowns, The third was King Oberon's sword.

They gave him these things for safe keeping for in the future they want him to be the one to give them to the kingdom's next heir. Roger was thrilled to have such an honor and he assured them that these things will be safe and given back when the time was right. Privately he also told them that if he could not be able to the deed, then their heir or one of his men will chose the one person who is not only worthy enough to the deed but also to be the next king.

When Roger and his men left, the two rulers started to have hope in their eyes that one day that magic and fairies can return and live with humans together on the earth in peace once again. But that hope was slightly wavered when they heard the word that Gold Roger was executed. They and all of Fae kind mourned of the lost of such a man and friend.

But they still remembered the promise that Roger made. So they made a island in Roger's home sea and placed a magical barrier on it. The barrier can only be lifted by the future King of the Pirates. The barrier is for the fairy kingdoms heir to stay on the island till the true king comes and takes them to the grand treasure known as the 'One Piece' cause that is where the two fairy treasures are as well.

The way to know if a fairy is one of royal blood. Is to see if they have the royal mark on their arm. Many have ventured on the island but none were the next king. For they all lack the means of having the title and the means of having the 'Key'. The fair folk were starting to lose their hope for their future heir but not the royal couple. They knew that the late pirate king would not disappoint them or his former crew. During their wait, stories of Avalon and fairy kind were starting to be told once more. And some pirate's went of to find 'Key' but all turned out empty handed.

For all the pirates that seek out the 'Key' to Avalon, they had to receive it from Avalon's heir which never occurred. For no one has seen or found a Fairy since the death of Gold Roger. Many don't have much knowledge of the Fae any more either unless you know which is true or that you believe.

But there are some signs of the fair folk among the humans or in the wilderness, like if you see a little figure of a person in the trees or an unnatural phenomenon happens near your home. Those are just the work of the fairies doing as they please, along with their restlessness of longing their heir to return home.

If it ever comes down to that one question. Which will be ask if you ever see or hear of something or someone that can't quite be explained. And will be asked of the new king...

 ** _ **Do you believe in Fairies?**_**

 _ ** **Enjoy the story!****_


	2. Charactor Bio

****(Before we get to the Straw Hats magical voyage with Fairy sisters, let me get you up to speed on the girls info. I'll go oldest to youngest and explain their magic, fighting style and others a long the way. (Also the pictures of the girls I do own.) Here is a little first looks of the Characters you guys will be seeing and what you need to know on them.****

 **First up:** ** _ **Name:**_** Lianara Fae

 ** _ **Pronounced:**_** Li-a-nar-a

 ** _ **Title:**_** ****Heir of the Fairy Kingdom of Avalon, Lianara the valiant, Li _(what Prilla calls her)_ , Valiant Lia _(Wanted poster)_ , Lia _(the crew)_ , Miss Fae _(Robin)_ , Lia~ _(Sanji)_

 ** _ **Age (in Human terms):**_** 19 and a half

 ** _ **Age (in Fairy terms):**_** 1,900 and a half

 ** _ **Love interest :**_** Zoro

 ** _ **Style:**_** Light blossom pink hair up to her shoulders _(with braids across her head to the right)_ , Gold leaf clip _(on the right of her head)_ , Fair peach skin, Burgundy eyes, Long lashes, The royal mark on her right fore-arm, Three gold bracelets on her right wrist _(blue gem stones on two of them)_ , Pearl bracelet on her left wrist, Gold chain neckless with green jewel flower, Gold chain earrings with green jewel flowers, Green top and pale-light green blouse _(slightly see-through)_ , Navy-blue capris', White open-toed wedge sandals, Blue moon-stone anklets, Her wings will look like a tattoo on her back.

 ** _Wings:_** A butterfly design, in sunset colors, sparkles like diamonds, shines better then polished silver.

 ** _Weapons:_** Two katanas uniquely design The first one has a green hilt with a lotus shaped guard. the metals on both were like gold finish. Hanging from the hilt was a single charm. The blade glisten in the light flawlessly and was only slightly curved. It's sheath was in a green lacquered finish with a floral design. It's name is: Odayakana hasu - Serene lotus. The second sword has a black, gold, and blue hilt. oval guard with a crescent moon carving. Both hilt and sheath had a moon charm and blue tassel on, and the sheath was in a black lacquered finish with gold details. It's name is: Manatsu tsuki - Midsummer moon. Both made with the strongest metals from Avalon, Just as strong as Hawk-eyes black sword. But no iron.

 ** _ **Hobbies:**_** Swim racing, hiking, spell casting, drawing, flying, singing, gardening, reading, stargazing, meditating, fashion, sword fighting, crafts.

 ** _ **Likes:**_** Swimming, singing, the color purple and pink, training _(pending)_ , drawing, her sister, her friends of the Straw hats and others, family, Zoro _(on his good days)_ , nature _(both land and water)_ , her friend Sakura, crafts, excitement, Zoro being nice to her sister, A good challenge _(every now and then),_ Serene Isle _(the Island she lived on)_ , Avalon, spirits, jewel hunting with Prilla, training, teasing Usopp, Her mother and father, traveling, music, making comments on things, dressing up _(sometimes)_ , a good plan, the outdoors, a good joke every now and then, New spells to learn, spell casting, making medicine with Chopper.

 ** _ **Dislikes:**_** Those who threaten her sister and friends, Zoro _(in his moods)_ , dark magic, spiders, feeling helpless, people getting on her bad side, bad weather, smart alecks, egomaniacs, showoffs, broken promises, pranks _(on her)_ , Avalon's secrets told, Idiots, things that are stupid, awkward moments, people getting the upper hand on her, pervs, Sanji and Brook _(on a time),_ Zoros's and Sanji's constant fights, meaningless fights, training _(on occasions),_ fighting with her sister, being called names, feeling under pressure, Nami's money craves _,_ evil, black magic.

 ** _ **Magic & Fighting Info:**_** When living on both Avalon and Serene Isle, Lia spend most her time studying and doing magic. Her magic can be unpredictable like most fairy magic and she takes pride in her spells which can be used for anything. She can heal plants, animals and physical injuries for humans. She can create elixirs for any purpose _(mostly healing or fixing)_. Her magic can replenish when meditating in her magic green house since most fairy magic works better with nature. Most her spell she learns are from the 'Grimoire of Avalon' a book containing all spells, incantations, and more that powerful fairies made. Lia learned sword fighting from both her father, and is self-taught. her skills with a sword are well match to Zoro's late friend Kuina for when Lia and Zoro first fight, Lia instantly won. Most of their sparing matches its been either a draw or Lia wins _(though they both like a good challenge and it helps Zoro get better)_. There are times were as Lia would fuse her magic to her sword when fighting. She can also use her magic to change her size to get in to places that others can't like most fairies can. And read minds _(when she wants to, she does mind other privacy)_

 ** _ **Character Info:**_** ****Lianara can be an outgoing and ambitious kind of girl like Nami, but also calm, collective and mature as Robin. After living on Serene Isle for so long with her sister, a life of good thrill and adventure is what she yearns for occasionally, she can be a bit protective of her sister and be a worry-wart of what her fellow crew mates do, but still can trust them to do things on their own without her help. There are times where she has her awkward moments but can make them up the best she can. When she gets on her bad side it's best to leave her be till she cools down. If you pull one up on her she will get you back ten times worse, for she can hold one mean grudge on others until they ether apologize to her fully or she gets even with them _(Luffy and Usopp learned that the hard way)_. Can be a bit of a party pooper from time to time when she focus on more important things, as well as mothering her crew mates _(depending on what their doing)_. When others see her in a serious faze, she means business. Lia also has a bit of a temper and can be sensitive sometimes but also has a heart of gold and a personality that others want to be around for. Also as the eldest and the future heir of Avalon, she responsible for her and her sister's safety and holding the secrets of Avalon and that her parent's entrusted her with _(so a bit of weight on her shoulders there)_. She can also be very sly when she wants to be.

 **Next up:** ** _ **Name:**_** Prilla Fae

 ** _ **Pounced:**_** Pr-ill-a

 _ ** **Title:****_ Second heir of the Fairy Kingdom of Avalon, Prill (what Lia and the crew calls her), Little princess~ (Sanji), Pipsqueak (Zoro), Prilla the joyous, Sweet little Prill (wanted poster), Young princess (Robin).

 ** _ **Age (in Human terms):**_** 10 - 11

 ** _ **Age (in Fairy terms):**_** 1,000 - 1,100

 ** _ **Style:**_** Peach orange hair up to her chin _(with buns on each side of her head)_ , pink flowered head-band, Fair peach skin, Dark violet eyes, Long lashes, The royal mark on her left fore-arm, A flower blossom wrap-up bracelet on her left wrist, Green gem-stone bracelet on her right wrist, Pearl chain neckless with pink flower pendant, Pearl earrings with pink jewel flowers, white and pink top and pink flowers green blouse _(flowers around the neck-line, sleeves, and bottom)_ , tan shorts, White socks, pink flats, Green sash with white circles on her left leg (above the knee) Her wings will look like a tattoo on her back.

 _ ** **Hobbies:****_ __Playing, dancing, reading, messing with her sister and friends on the crew, crafts, stargazing, hiking, playing games, drawing, being silly, gardening, traveling, flying, spell casting, shooting.

 _ ** **Likes:****_ Her older sister, messing with Usopp, running, Playing with animals and friends, her buddy Izzy, being silly, hanging out with Izzy, Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper, making smart-aleck comments _(sometimes)_ , jewel hunting with Lia and Izzy, training (pending, music, Her mother and Father, Serene Isle _(where she lives with Lia) Avalon_ , Magical creatures story books, teasing her crew mates, her family, friends in the Straw hat crew and others, pranks, Zoro being good to Lia and herself, the color pink, green _(but not a lot)_ , a good challenge, nature, the outdoors, gardening, learning about herbs and plants from Chopper and Lia.

 _ ** **Dislikes:****_ __Stupid people, Loud noises, Those who threaten her sister and friends, Lia taking risks, fighting with her sister, Zoro being a jerk, Luffy going to far, getting teased, feeling helpless, feeling responsible for things, girly stuff, losing fights, her opponents getting the upper hand, pranks _(on her),_ smart-aleck comments at herself, feeling under pressure, meaningless fights, training _(on occasions),_ playing unfair, left in the dark _,_ evil, Lia and Nami acting like a boss of her and others, being short, Sanji _(at times),_ being called names referring to her height, Missing her targets, black magic.

 _ ** **Wings:****_ Butterfly design, in pink and green, sparkles as well.

 ** _Weapons:_** A Magical bow and arrows that her father had made. And by magic the quiver is bottomless so there is no limit to the arrows.

 _ ** **Magic & Fighting Info:****_ __On both Avalon and Serene Isle Prilla practice her magic out in the open in nature, her most used magic is nature magic but also uses her magic for other things to just like Lia's. Like all fairies, Prilla's magic in unpredictable especially when she's playing. Prill can also create illusions to fool her enemies, and senses other fairies, people, and animals near her. so you can never hide from her. When given permission from Lia, Prill will also use the 'Grimoire of Avalon' to do her training and studying. She can also use her magic to change her size to get in to places that others can't like most fairies can. She has amazing eye sight so archery is a natural for her, and sometimes has Usopp with her to give her some pointers. he made a target for her as well so she can practice. Prill also carries a small pouch of edible pearls that allow people to breath underwater, _("Better then eating magic seaweed, yuk" she says)_. As for hand to hand combat its about average but at a higher level for her age.

 ** _ **Character Info:**_** Prilla is a very free spirit and the youngest of the Straw hats (by human terms), she's as much as a kid as Luffy and has more energy then she knows what to do with. She not afraid to express her silly side and she doesn't care if people call her a goof or a weirdo, that just who she is. During her free time, she likes to play with the forest or sea animals and her buddy Izzy, there is never a time when she and Izzy are not up to some mischief. When she is not doing chores, studying, training or with her friends she will just read a book sometimes. She also like to make fun of her sister and her fellow crew mates when it counts and pull a prank on others (when she sees a chance) You will always wonder what goes on in that head of hers. If you ever bother her or make her upset, it's pounding on the head or a sudden magic trick on you _(Luffy, Usopp and others learned that the hard way)._ Oh, and here's another thing about Prilla, if you call her; short, squirt, pipsqueak, or anything by her height. She will just give a "humph" and say "I'm not short." and sticks with it. And if you ever pull one up on her and she'll get you right back _(same with pranks)_.

 ** **The girls friends:****

 ** _Sakura_** ** _ **:**_** Sakura is a dragon, with golden claws and legs along with gold markings all over her body. then most of her body is green but on her head, horn, and tail there are Sakura blossoms on as well. She a calm and collective creature and will be there when you need her. If you irk her, she will not hesitate to roast your back-side _(just ask Luffy)_.

 ** _ **Izzy:**_** The cute little rainbow gecko who is always with Prilla and is always helping her to mess with the crew, Luffy likes to play with her to though most in hide-an-seek. When it comes to that Izzy always wins since she can change her color to match her surroundings. But the fun Izzy likes to do most of all is snatch small fruit out of the others hands (especially from Luffy)

 ** _ **Facts:**_** ****

 _ ** **-****_ Lia and Prill are both vegetarians, much to Luffy's shock.

 ** _ **-**_** Like sea prism-stone is a devil fruit- user's weakness. Anything with Cold-iron is a Fairies weakness.

 _ ** **-****_ Some Fairies have a sweet-tooth, that includes the girls.

 _ ** **-****_ Lia's anklets allow her to walk on water.

 _ ** **-****_ Prilla has a magic bag that bottomless, so it can carry whatever the girls put in it. _(Think of it like Marry Poppin's bag)_

 _ ** **Enjoy the story!****_


	3. Voyage 1

It was the start of another beautiful day. The waters were calm, much to a certain pirate crew's pleasure.

"Ahhha! This morning is incredible!" shouted a very energetic young man wearing a straw hat. He had raven hair and a scar under his left eye. With a big bright smile on his face, he spread himself over his ship's figure head, soaking up the sun's rays.

"You could say that again, Luffy. I'd say this is the nicest weather I've ever seen. Maybe it'll last till sun down?" theorized a young women with orange-red hair. She sat on a crate looking through some old island maps.

"I sure hope so, Nami. It'll be nice for us to kick back and relax for a bit," exclaimed a man with tan skin and a long nose. He was up in the 'Crow's nest' on look-out.

"I think Zoro already beat you to it, Usopp," Nami pointed out, looking a man leaning against the mast, fast asleep. The man had three swords next to him. He had green hair and three earrings on his left ear.

"Well who could blame him?" Usopp said with a shrug.

As Usopp was looking through his telescope, he spotted something off in the distance.

"Huh? What's that?" he asked himself as he looked again.

"What is it Usopp? Did you see something?" Luffy asked, looking up at his friend as he sat up.

"Yeah, give me a minute," Usopp replied. He got a better view of what it was. "It's an island, just off to port-side," he told his fellow crew mates.

"Really!?" Luffy got all excited as he looked at the same direction.

"Are you sure Usopp? There shouldn't be any islands in this part of the 'East Blue'," Nami claimed as she looked too.

"I'm sure, and it looks deserted," Usopp remarked.

As he studied the island, Nami studied it too and a thought came to her head. "I wonder if that's it?" she questioned.

"If what's it Nami?" Luffy asked as he and Usopp joined her on deck.

"Well, there have been stories and rumors of an island that sits in the middle of nowhere in the 'East Blue' called 'Serene Isle'," she explained, as she and the boys were still looking at the island.

"Hmmm, 'Serene Isle'? I've heard of it too, but only by name," Usopp said, rubbing his chin.

"What are the stories and rumors about, Nami?" Luffy asked, starting to get even more exited, his eyes glued to the island.

"Well, they're kind of vague but," she paused for a moment trying to get her thoughts straight. "Alright, let me ask you a question. Do you guys believe in fairies?" she asked.

"Fairies?" they questioned, tilting their heads.

"You mean the people with wings and magic?" Usopp asked.

"Yes, from what I've heard, 'Serene Isle' was made by the rulers of the Fae and is home to some of them. But nobody has been able to prove it because they say that there's some thing there that's driving passing sailors and other pirates off it," she explained.

"Hoooo! I wonder if that's the island that Shanks told me about! He told me that in his early travels, he actually met fairies there and saw their kingdom too!" Luffy wondered aloud, looking like he couldn't contain his excitement any longer.

Nami shook her head. "Sorry Luffy, the island your thinking of is in the 'Grand Line' somewhere. And it's called 'Avalon'," Nami told him.

"Okay, now that place I _have_ heard of. People say that it's the home of all fair folk in the world and can only be found if you have the 'Key'," Usopp said.

"A 'Key'? Can't you just find the place on the 'Grand Line'?" Luffy asked, as he oddly looked at Usopp, who shook his head.

"Nope, the whole island is protected by magic, or so I've heard. And this 'Key' is the only way to find it on the 'Grand Line'. I heard that the only person who ever found Avalon and set foot on it was the first King of the Pirates himself. He was given treasure by actual fairies!" Usopp told him, adding an excited tone at the end.

Luffy couldn't hold it any longer. "Amazing! I want go! I wanna see 'Avalon'!" Luffy yelled in joyful excitement, eyes sparkling.

"If that place is as interesting as you say it is, then why did these _fairy rulers_ make an island here? The 'East Blue' is where almost nothing happens," Zoro bluntly questioned as he got up from his spot and walked over to them.

"Well, I'm not sure exactly, but rumors say that they created it because they hid something on it that's extremely precious. What if it's a Fairy crown or tiara? What would I give to wear one of those!" Nami swooned at that last sentence. Zoro and Usopp sweat-dropped at her antics.

"Who cares what's on it?! I wanna see it! Let go to the 'mystery' island already!" Luffy ordered.

Then Usopp realized something and started to tremble in fear.

"But...But Luffy, what about the thing that's been kicking people off that island?" he quivered.

Zoro just 'tisked' at that. "If it wants a fight, we'll fight it," he proclaimed with a sly smile, holding his swords to emphasize his remark. Both Usopp and Nami sweat-dropped.

"Why do I get the feeling that if there's going to be a fight, it won't end well for him?" Usopp asked as he looked back towards the island.

Nami just shrugged. "Don't know, but I get the feeling that we're going to find out real soon," she answered.

"Come on! Let's go already! To 'Serene Isle'!" Luffy shouted anxiously, pointing at the island while sitting on the figure head once more. The others just sighed and had their ship set a course towards 'Serene Isle'. Little did they know that a little figure had been listening in on them the whole time. The figure laughed.

"Wait till they meet big sis'. This is going to be fun," she said as she flew back to the isle to get a 'welcome' ready.

 **…..**

As soon as the pirate crew was nearing the island's bay, they looked around and noted that it was mostly covered in lush green plants and trees with a small water falls gushing into the bay.

"How beautiful!" Nami fawned.

Usopp however just got shivers from it. "Yeah, but eerie. I mean, don't you guys find it creepy that it's almost too peaceful?" he questioned his crew mates.

"Huh? What was that Usopp?" Luffy asked with a smile on his face like an innocent child.

Usopp comically fell to the floor in defeat. "Sometimes, _'sigh'_ , sometimes I think he's too care-free for his own good." he said to himself.

"Welcome to the crew." Zoro flatly told him.

When they anchored the ship, Luffy wasted no time jumping off and looking around at the scenery. "Te, he, he, he, he, I wonder if there are any fairies here? Maybe I can get one to join our crew?!" he excitedly thought out loud.

"Right, like that'll happen. I mean who ever heard of a 'pirate fairy'?" Zoro inquired as he stood beside Luffy with his arms crossed. The others were just getting off the ship.

"There's a first time for everything," Luffy childishly said with a small pout.

When Usopp placed himself in the shallow waters of the bay, a pebble hit him on the side of his head. "Ow, who threw that?" he looked around, but there was no one there but them. Then he was hit again. "Ow! Okay who ever's doing that, stop it!" he yelled shaking his fist.

"Who are you yelling at Usopp?" Nami asked as she got off the ship next to him.

"Someone keeps throwing rocks at my head!" Another one came and hit him. This time Nami saw. "Quit it!" Usopp yelled towards the direction the rock had come from. Then they both heard someone laughing.

"Shhh, Usopp do you hear that?" Nami asked, putting her hand to her ear. They listened more closely. Suddenly they heard somebody giggle. They both turned and looked at where it was coming from. No more than a few feet away from them in the trees was a little girl with peach-orange hair and a bright smile on her face, giggling.

"I thought this place was deserted?" Usopp wondered, tilting his head in confusion.

"I thought so too," Nami replied. Then the little girl jumped and ran off in the forest.

"Hey wait! You still need to apologize for hitting me!" Usopp shouted at the girl.

"Come on Usopp, if we catch up to her, maybe she can tell us more about this place," Nami pondered.

"Right, let's go," he replied. And they were off to find the little girl.

The two men that were on the bay turned and found that their friends where gone. "Where did Usopp and Nami go?" Luffy asked.

"Who knows? Let's hope they wont get lost," Zoro simply said. Luffy sweat-dropped at his remark.

Then something shiny caught his eye. "Wooo, what's that?!" Luffy ran off in the direction of the shiny thing.

"Wait, Luffy!" Zoro yelled and he to ran off to follow Luffy.

Meanwhile, Nami and Usopp had stopped running for a minute.

"You know, for a little girl, she sure can run." Nami huffed between words, leaning on her knees.

"Yeah, no kidding." Usopp agreed as he was on the ground heaving. They both composed themselves and noticed that they were in the middle of nowhere in the forest. "Uh Nami, are we lost?" Usopp asked.

"Ummm?" was all that Nami said.

"Great, we're lost and we don't even know if Luffy and Zoro are aware that we're gone. This is swell," he said, sarcastically.

"Hey don't blame me!" Nami yelled at him. Then they heard someone giggling.

"You hear that?" Usopp asked, back on his feet.

"Yeah," she replied. They looked around and to their right was the little girl still giggling at them.

"How does she keep popping out of no where?" Usopp asked.

"Don't ask me, ask her! Come on!" Nami replied as she ran towards the girl's direction.

"Hey! Wait for me!"

They kept running until they came to a clearing. What they saw there had them stop in pure awe. In front of them was the most beautiful house they had ever seen _(ignore the people in the pic)_. Most of it was covered in ivy, but you could still see the structure. Wild-flowers were in full bloom as far as the eye could see. Lanterns were hanging in the trees. Gusts of wind caused some petals and leaves to fly in swirling patterns. Everything seemed to sparkle in vibrant colors, almost like magic.

The two were quiet for a while as they stared at the beautiful scenery before them. They stared a bit more, until Nami broke the silence.

"Usopp."

"Yeah?"

"Am I dreaming?"

"If you're dreaming, then I gotta be too."

Nami started to walk up to the house. Usopp followed.

"Have you ever seen such a beautiful house?" she asked as she went up to the front door.

"Nuh uh," he said. Then he noticed the berries growing on the house. "And haven't I seen berries like these before." He picked one that resembled a blueberry but it was a glossy yellow. He gave it a questioning look.

Nami knocked on the door but there was no answer. "Hello?" She called out. They both waited for a minute or two but it was still quite. "Hmm, doesn't seem like anyone's home," she assumed.

Usopp crossed his arms and had a curious look on his face. "Then why does it feel like we're not alone here?" he wondered as he looked around. Then a pebble hit his head again. "Ouch! Hey!" Nami looked at him, then looked at what he was yelling at. There was that little girl again in the bushes, giggling at Usopp's antics.

"Hello," she said to them with a wave.

They both looked at her, at first not knowing what to say. But Nami fixed that. "Um? Hello, do you live here?" she asked.

The girl nodded her head. "Mmhmm, I live here with my big sister. Welcome to 'Serene Isle'," she said to them with a bright smile.

"Okay, but couldn't you have welcomed us without hitting me with rocks?" Usopp asked a bit resentfully.

"How else was I gonna get you to follow me?" she asked, tilting her head. That caused Usopp to comically deflate.

Nami shook her head at Usopp's reaction and smiled a bit at the little girl's answer. "Anyways what's your name? I'm Nami and this is Usopp," she introduced.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Prilla," she introduced herself, as she gave the a small curtsy.

The two smiled at her politeness and thought it was cute. "Aren't you a sweet little thing?" Nami commented.

"Thank you," Prilla thanked Nami. She then turned to Usopp. "Can I ask you something sir?"

Usopp brought his hand to his chin and gave her prideful smirk. "Let me guess, you're probably wondering, 'Who is this heroic, brave warrior standing before you?' Well, I'm-!"

"That's not what I was going to ask you," she cut him off from his boisterous lying.

"You didn't let me finish!" he yelled with his eyes bulging out and teeth sharpened. Then he sighed and brought his head down. "Alright what were you going to ask me?" he waved his hand to her, telling her to ask away.

"Are you related to Pinocchio?" she asked. Nami covered her mouth with her hands to suppress a laugh. Usopp however tilted his head, not having a clue about why she had asked the question.

"Uh no, why would you ask me that?" he asked Prilla.

"Simple really." She walked up to him and pointed a finger at his nose. "Your nose is long and you lie. Did your nose get that long from all the lies you told?" Prilla asked.

Nami couldn't hold it any longer. She burst into a fit of laughter. Usopp however was on the ground with his pride shattered. "Why is that the case with some people about my nose?" he asked himself pitifully.

Nami finally composed herself from her hysterics. "Hee hee, thank you for that. Anyway, you said that you live here with your sister?" she questioned Prilla.

"Mhm, her and our friends of course. We live here together like it's our own little paradise. But big sis really wants to go out and see the world. She's tired of being here now," Prilla exclaimed, rocking on the balls of her heels.

Usopp sat up and looked at her with an odd expression. "Your friends?"

Prilla hummed with a nod. Then something snatched the berry that was still in Usopp's hand, which made him jump back on to his feet in fright. Nami looked and saw that the berry had been taken by colorful little gecko. "Would this be one of your friends?" she asked, pointing at the lizard.

"Yeah, that's Izzy, she's a rainbow gecko," Izzy squeaked and crawled up the post and to the roof. "There's also Sakura, but she's with big sis right now," Prilla mentioned.

"And speaking of your sister, where is she? Aren't you a little young to be wandering around this forest by yourself?" Usopp inquired.

"Hmm? Oh! She's at Tranquil Falls. She always goes there to meditate." Prilla replied happily.

Nami was a little curious about that. "Could we meet your sister by any chance?" she asked.

"Probably, but not right now. When sister is at the falls, she tends to get cranky when someone interrupts her. A lot of people who came here before did that and my sister was not happy about it, so she ends up scaring away whoever comes to 'Serene Isle'."

Nami and Usopp were surprised to hear this news. "Wait, so your sister was the one who ran off the passing sailors that came here?" Nami assumed.

"Yep." Prilla said, popping the 'p' at the end.

"Uh oh," Usopp said.

"What is it?" Nami asked.

"I just realized that we left Luffy and Zoro back at the 'Going Merry'," he told her. Nami became shocked. "You're right, and since both of them are bad at direction," she started.

Then Usopp finished her sentence. "They could end up dealing with an unwelcoming 'welcomer'."

Nami turned to Prilla with a determined face. "Prilla could you please take us to Tranquil Falls so we can stop our friends from running into your sister?"

"Sure, just past the bushes is a-" She was cut off by Usopp as he tried to acted all heroic.

"Alright! Let's go save our comrades from this unfortunate fate!" He ran off into the bushes that Prilla had pointed to.

"Wait, you need to know that behind the bushes is a-" She and Nami heard him scream. "A cliff side stair-case," Prilla sighed. Both girls ran to where Usopp had gone and as they made it to the stair-case, they found Usopp dangling from a tree branch that was attached to the side of the cliff. Comical tears were running down his face.

"'Serene Isle' is scary, 'Serene Isle' is scary," he pitifully repeated.

"If you had let Prilla finish, you wouldn't be in this situation!" Nami yelled at him with sharp teeth. She sighed and got down on her knees and reached out for Usopp. "Reach towards me, I'll pull you up." Usopp did so, though they couldn't reach each other's hands. Then they heard the sound of something breaking. Everyone looked and saw that the tree branch Usopp was holding on to was giving away.

Both pirates paled. "Hurry Usopp!" Nami cried. Usopp reached farther but it was to late. The branch snapped and both it and Usopp were free falling.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Ussssoooopp!"

Just then, Prilla jumped off the cliff and dove down for Usopp. "No! Prilla!" Nami shrieked, then covered her eyes. She couldn't bear to look. As Usopp was falling, Prilla grabbed onto one of the straps of his overalls, and their falling came to a stop.

Hearing that Usopp had stopped screaming, Nami uncovered her eyes and what she saw next made it seem as if the whole world around her had just stopped. The same could be said for Usopp, because they both saw Prilla floating in the air with a pair of wings on her back. Prilla carefully put Usopp down next to Nami, then she landed too. Both pirate's where still gaping at her.

"Are you okay, Usopp? No injuries anywhere?" she asked him.

"Prilla," Nami said.

"Yes?"

"Did you just sprout wings?" Usopp asked in a high pinched squeaky voice.

"Hmm?" Prilla looked over her shoulder at her wings, then she looked back the two pirates. "Yes, how else was I going to save you? And speaking of which, you need to be more careful," she told him.

"Prilla, are you a-?" Nami didn't get to finish as she was stopped by Prilla's smile towards her.

"Yes, I'm a fairy, and so is my sister," she told them. Usopp and Nami looked at each other.

"Okay, now we really need to get to the others," Nami said seriously.

"Right," Usopp said and all three went down the stairs.

Meanwhile, Zoro and Luffy were still running after the 'shiny thing' Luffy had spotted.

"Luffy! Would you stop for a second!? You don't even know what you're chasing!" Zoro yelled at the straw-hat wearing boy. Then Luffy came to a sudden stop, and Zoro ran right into him causing both men to fall forward. "Owww" both of them groaned. They both looked up and saw the thing that Luffy had been chasing was a colorful dragonfly.

"Awwww, I thought it was a fairy," Luffy whined as he and Zoro got up and dusted themselves off.

"Well your not gonna see them if you act like an idiot!" Zoro scolded at him, grinding his teeth.

The two men took a minute to look around to find that they were in the middle of nowhere in the forest. "I think we're lost," Luffy said plainly, sitting on a rock.

"Of course not, we just need to go back the way we came," Zoro said to him as he walked off the opposite direction they came from. Luffy sweat-dropped as he watched Zoro.

"Uh Zoro, the way we came from is behind us," he said, pointing at the right direction.

Zoro jerked to a stop. "Gah! I knew that!" he fumed at him. They both walked back to where the ship was, then Luffy broke the silence.

"Do you think Nami and Usopp are back at the ship?" he asked.

"Maybe, though I don't know why they left in a hurry," Zoro replied.

Then Luffy came to a stop and Zoro turned back to him. "What's the matter?" he asked.

"Do you hear that?" Luffy asked him. They both stayed quite long enough to hear a faint sound of running water.

"Sounds like a waterfall," Zoro assumed.

"Let's go check it out!" Luffy stated excitedly. And he ran off towards the direction of the waterfall. Zoro shook his head irritably.

"How did I sucker my way into having him as my captain again?" he questioned himself.

As they went through the forest, they came to a stream and followed it to find the waterfall they were hearing. "Wow! Look at that Zoro!" Luffy said pointing. Zoro looked and he had to admit that the waterfall was a pretty sight to look at. It seemed calm and peaceful enough to hang around at. Better yet, it seemed like a great place to do some training.

"Hmmm? Hey, Zoro look over there. There's someone at the falls," Luffy stated. Zoro looked to where Luffy was pointing and saw that he was right. There was someone there. "Let's go get a closer look," Luffy said. They both got closer to the fall and stopped in bewilderment. The person they were seeing was not only at the falls but was also standing on the water in front of it!

"Hey-" Luffy was about to say something until Zoro immediately clamped his mouth shut and shoved them both behind a nearby shrub.

"Shhhh!" he shushed Luffy. They looked back to the person on the water. It was a woman with light blossom pink hair and a curved figure. Her eyes where closed and her hands were out in a meditative state as she stood on the water.

"How is she doing that?" Luffy whispered.

"How the hell should I know Luffy?" Zoro bluntly whispered back. Then the women started to move, she gave a swift whisk of her hand and that created a breeze that some how made music to play. Where it played they didn't know, all they knew was that the women started to move to the music.

As she was dancing, she also started to sing too. When the music got louder so did her singing, what they saw next was not what they were expecting. With one wave of her hand, the water around her started to float in the air in streams around her, as if dancing with her.

Both men were in awe. Then, sunlight shown down and as it did, the water around the woman sparkled like jewels. The wind picked up and flower petals where dancing along as well. When the women opened her eyes and smiled as she sang, Zoro was spellbound.

What he was seeing was the most beautiful, enchanting thing he had ever seen. He was seeing the woman more clearly now, due to her dancing. Her hair complemented her fair peach skin. Her burgundy eyes were so bright that it seemed that they would even shine in the dark of night as they did in the light of the sun. And as for her voice, there were no words to describe it other than that he could listen to it forever. Her magical dancing made it seem like she was one with nature but capable of doing more than just controlling water and flowers.

 _'Hmm, she seems so familiar, but I can't put my finger on it,'_ he mused in his head.

When the song was finished, the water went back to normal with out making a splash. The flower petals landed on the water and drifted down the stream. The woman stood there on the water that was so calm that the only movement was the ripples and splashes of the falls behind her.

"Wow, just, wow," was all that came out of Luffy's mouth.

"Yeah," Zoro replied, not taking his eyes off of her. Then she turned her head to where they were hiding. They jumped and ducked down.

"You think she saw us?" Luffy asked in a hushed whisper.

A rustling of bushes made their heads turn to see that she was looking at the bushes next to them. When the thing that was shaking the bushes came out, they were at a loss for words, because what came out was none other than a living, breathing dragon. It was green with gold scales on it's legs and some more scattered all over its body. It also had cherry blossoms in its hair and tail.

"Zoro?"

"Yeah?"

"Your seeing what I'm seeing too, right?"

"Yeah."

"Sakura, what's wrong?" they heard the woman ask. The dragon made a series of croaks and groans. "What? A ship landed on the shores of Serene Bay?" The dragon nodded.

"Uh oh. I think that's the 'Merry' they're talking about," Luffy said, worried about his ship.

"Shut up," Zoro hushed him.

"How many people? And what kind of ship?" she asked the dragon. When it answered her with another groan, her calm posture was gone. "Four you say, and they're pirates?!" she cried out. The dragon nodded again. She ran off the water and put on her sandals as they walked away. "Has Prilla made contact with any of them?" she asked. The dragon just shrugged.

When the woman and the dragon were out of sight, the two pirates slowly got out of their hiding place. As soon as they were sure she and the dragon were gone, Luffy went crazy.

"Did you see that Zoro?! Did you see how she was standing on the water and made it dance with her?! And can you believe it?! We actually saw a real dragon!" Luffy spouted out with all the energy of a kid getting a new pet.

"Yeah I know Luffy, I saw the whole thing. Though it's still hard to absorb," Zoro replied, rubbing the back of his head. His thoughts were still on that woman.

"I've made a decision," Luffy declared.

"Oh no," Zoro muttered.

"Her and that dragon are joining our crew!" he announced proudly.

Suddenly, vines from the trees shot out and wrapped themselves around Luffy.

"Hey what gives?!" he asked, trying to get out of the vines' hold.

"Luffy!" Zoro shouted. He reached out to try and help his captain, but it was too late. Luffy was tied up in the tree vines, hanging upside down.

"Uh Zoro, I'm stuck," Luffy pointed out the obvious.

Zoro just sighed and shook his head. "Just hang on, I'll get you down," he said.

"Be sure not to cut me," Luffy told him.

"I won't," Zoro retorted. As he was about to get his swords out, he heard the sound of another sword being unsheathed. Then something cold and sharp was pressed against his neck.

"Don't move," a voice from behind him said, and he knew whose voice it was. "Turn around slowly and no tricks," she told him and he did.

There before him was the woman they had seen earlier. But her eyes were looking at him with hostile intent as she had him at the end of her sword. He noted that she had two swords with her; both were nothing like he had ever seen before. The one she had drawn out had a green hilt with a lotus shaped guard. The metals on both were like gold finish. Hanging from the hilt was a single charm of a lotus blossom. The blade was flawless. It glistened in the light and was only slightly curved. It's sheath had a green lacquered finish with a floral design. The sword still sheathed on her back had a black, gold, and blue hilt with an oval guard with a crescent moon carving. Both hilt and sheath had a moon charm and blue tassel on them, and the sheath was in a black lacquered finish with gold details.

They were, beyond a doubt, the most magnificent swords Zoro had ever seen.

"Cool swords," Luffy commented, bringing Zoro back to earth.

"Be quiet," she scolded Luffy and the vines tightened around him.

Zoro brought his hands up. "Look we don't want any trouble," he calmly explained.

"That's what all trespassers say. Now who are you two and what are you doing on my island?" she inquired hostilely.

Zoro gave her a smug grin. "Isn't it only polite to give a stranger your name first before you ask them questions?" he proclaimed.

"And why would I-?" She was interrupted by a swing of Zoro's sword. It caught her off guard for a moment but she regained her posture and was in a fighting stance a few feet away from Zoro. He was also in a fighting stance.

"How about a little bet? If I win, you have to hear what we have to say," Zoro told her.

"And you have to join our crew," Luffy added.

Zoro looked at him with a smile. "Good thinking, Luffy," he commented.

"Thank you," Luffy said.

The woman thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, but if I win you and your followers are to leave this island and never come back," she told them, full of self confidence.

"Sounds fair," Zoro agreed to her terms. "I still didn't get a name," he brought up.

She sighed. "My name is Lianara and just a word of warning, I have never lost a single match. So you might as well forfeit," she remarked.

A thought came to his mind. _'Why does her name sound so familiar?'_ he questioned himself. Zoro then huffed in amusement. "Roronoa Zoro," he remarked. "And I don't go down easily myself, so this will be your first lost." A smug grin came back upon on his face.

Lianara also gave off a smile, thinking that she might have a decent opponent. "Don't get cocky, Roronoa, it'll be your down fall," she stated.

"Funny, you should take your own advice," he replied back, pulling out his other swords, one in each hand and one in his mouth. This intrigued Lianara.

"No holding back," they both said and charged toward each other.

Luffy was just hanging there watching. "This is going to be some fight," he said.

 **To Be Continued...**

Just to let every one know I have a new editor to help me with the story. Her name is Scarlet Royal, you can check her out on Quotev. I owe her a lot of thanks for help and effort. So be sure to give her credit to.


	4. Voyage 2

Deep in the forest, still a ways from Tranquil Falls, Nami and Usopp were following Prilla, bombarding her with questions that she had no problem answering.

"So let me get this straight; your parents sent you to live with your sister for training so you can work on your magic. And your sister has lived here for most of her life because of some destiny promise she has to uphold?" Usopp said to Prilla, still a little skeptical about the whole thing.

"That's one way to sum it up, so yeah," Prilla smiled, not minding Usopp's attitude at all.

Nami was a little cynical herself about the whole story. "It sounds to me that there's more to this story than what you told us."

Prilla nervously laughed while rubbing the back of her head. "Well, you're not wrong about that. You see-" she was cut off by some bushes shaking.

"What is it?" Usopp fearfully asked as he hid behind Nami. The bushes shook more until what was shaking them came out. Nami's and Usopp's jaws dropped.

"Oh, hi Sakura." Prilla greeted with a smile and a wave.

"That's Sakura?!" they asked in shock.

"Yeah," Prilla told them as if it wasn't a big deal.

"We weren't expecting her to be a living dragon!" Usopp shouted.

Sakura growled at him, threatened at that uproar. Usopp shivered and ducked back behind Nami. She, however, was awestruck. "Incredible," was all that she was able to say.

"It's okay Sakura, they're friendly. There's nothing to worry about," Prilla assured the dragon.

Sakura gave the two one last questioning glance. Usopp and Nami jumped a bit as beads of sweat came down their faces. She looked back at Prilla and grunted and growled.

"Mhmm, she says that if I say you are good, then she will believe it," Prilla told them.

"Just like that?" Usopp tilled his head.

"You trust us so easily?" Nami questioned with a raised brow.

"Sure. You see, we fairies use our magic see what lies in one's heart and see what kind of person they are. And I can tell that you two are okay to be with, and fun to play with," Prilla laughed.

Nami and Usopp sweat dropped at that last part. All of a sudden, the sound of swords clashing together was heard through-out the forest. Everyone in the group flinched in fear from it. They all were thinking the same thing.

"Uh oh, sounds like Li is at it again," Prilla pipped up.

"And I'm willing to bet that the one she's at it with is Zoro," Nami deduced, worriedly.

"Then we better get going and stop them before it gets worse," said Usopp.

The girls and the dragon nodded. Prilla turned to Sakura.

"Think you can take us to Li?" she asked. Sakura nodded and started to run where she came from. "Let's go," Prilla told the two.

"Right," they said and they all headed towards where the action was.

At Tranquil Falls, Zoro and Lianara were clashing sword to sword, both looking for an opening from the other. Lianara was showing more progress then Zoro was.

 _'Damn, she's good. Too good. I'm here sweating like hell and she's barely heaving a breath,'_ he observed in thought. When he got a good look of her face, he couldn't help but wonder, _'Why does she seem so familiar?'_

"Pay attention Roronoa!"

He flinched a bit from her out burst. She took a swing at him but he dodged just in time.

Both fighters were just a few feet from each other, still in their battle stances and were waiting for the other to make a move. Luffy on the other hand, was just watching the whole thing go down as he was hanging from the trees vines.

"Why'd you stop? Are you guys tired?" he stupidly asked.

"Shut up!" they both yelled at him, and he did just that.

Lianara sighed, and turned back to face Zoro. "Roronoa, I would greatly prefer that you take this fight and myself seriously. I'll have you know that even though I'm a woman, I will not hesitate to prove that I'm just as skilled with a sword or any weapon as any man. And I will put my life on the line for any reason I have in any fight. But I will not continue this fight if you don't get serious. I want an honest and honorable fight without my opponents doing me any favors. Because if you do, I will take the win in this fight," she proclaimed to him without any sign of doubt.

"That's not fair!" Luffy yelled, struggling to get out of the vines.

"Yes it is, Luffy." Luffy paused when he heard Zoro speak up. "It is fair, 'cause that's how a fight between swordsmen should be. One has to honor how the other proceeds in battle," he explained to his captain.

"Oh." He stopped struggling and went back to watching the two. Zoro faced Lianara; he couldn't help but be reminded of an old friend of his.

 _'_ _If_ _Kuina_ _was alive and here, those two would get along great. But why do I have the feeling they have before?'_ he mumbled through his thoughts. He looked at her with a serious face and got his stance ready for a final blow. "What's say we finish this up right now then?" he requested with a sly grin.

Lia widened her eyes a bit, but then gave him a smile of her own. "Glad you can come to an understanding, Roronoa." She got into a stance as well. All was quiet except of the Falls. The warriors gave each other one last glare, then charged.

"Tiger!" "Sacred Lotus!" they cried together as they were about to meet. "Trap!" "Strike!" The sound of swords clashing rang out one last time.

Two swords flew into the air and met the ground, blades first. Zoro stood there in sheer shock, with only his one sword in his mouth. Where as Lianara had her sword barely touching his throat, ready to slice it at any moment.

"No way," Zoro muttered.

"I believe it is my win," Lianara smirked.

"Whooooa!" Luffy marveled in awe. The vines released him and he fell on his head with a 'thud". "Oww! Hey!"

Just as the two fighters were contemplating on what to do next, the three heard someone yell. "Li! Li! Are you there?" Out from the bushes came Usopp, Nami, Sakura and Prilla. Both parties were silent, creating an awkward moment.

"Um, is this a bad time?" Usopp asked, to no one particular.

"No." "Yes." Luffy and the two answered at the same time. Lianara and Zoro glared at the straw hat boy.

Lianara turned to her sister, without breaking her stance. "Prilla, what are you doing with these people? You know your not supposed to make contact with outsiders, especially if they're pirates," she scolded the little girl quite sternly. Nami and Usopp flinched a bit, but Prilla stood her ground.

"It's alright Li, these people are good. Just look in their eyes. Sakura can tell too," she explained to her sister. Lianara did just that; she saw who they were and that they were no threat. When her eyes finally landed on Luffy, something made her stop right there. Lianara's eyes widened when she saw what he was wearing on his head. She got out of her stance, sheathed her sword and walked up to him.

 _'Uh oh, Luffy what did you do?'_ the sniper and navigator dreaded, both thinking that he did something wrong before they had gotten to the fight. Lianara stood in front of him, giving him a good hard stare.

Luffy looked at her questionably. "Uh? Is something the matter?" he asked her. With that said, she raised her hand and swiped the straw hat right off his head.

That surprised everyone, even Prilla.

Luffy on the other hand was outraged. "Hey! give back my hat!" he demanded.

Lianara was just staring at it intently. "Where did you get this? There's only one person alive who owns one just like it. And he never gives up his most beloved possessions. Unless it's for a good reason," she said to him, stressing every word as she held up the hat to him.

Luffy blinked. "You know Shanks?" he questioned in awe.

Lianara looked back at him. She could tell that he had connections to that red head as well, in every good possible way. She smiled at him and gave him back the hat.

"Yes, quite well in fact. He used to visit this island to see me and Prilla," she explained. Luffy gave her a big toothy grin as he put his hat back on his head.

"So wait." They both turned to see Usopp skeptically rubbing his eyes with one hand as he turned to Lianara. "So, you don't hate pirates? Just a while ago, you were getting at your sister making friends with us," he pointed out.

She turned to address him. "That all depends on who the pirate is and what lies in their heart. I'm sure you know that more then anyone, son of Yassop," she smiled at that last statement. Usopp's jaw literally dropped to the ground. The other pirates stared at her completely lost for words, even Luffy.

The long nosed boy snapped out of it and pointed hysterically at her. "You knew my old man too?! Wait, how did you know he's my dad?!" he shrieked the question.

She smiled as she crossed her arms. "Simple really; you're like the spitting image of him, except for the nose. But other than that I was able to tell right away. And I'm willing to assume that your a decent sharp-shooter yourself?" she questioned at the end of her explanation.

Usopp couldn't help but blush a bit and he rubbed his head. "Well, heh, nice to see someone can notice my talents," he bragged.

Nami decided to jump in. "I think we should have this conversation somewhere else," she thought out loud to the others.

Prilla jumped with a smile and suggested, "Ooo! Why don't we have lunch at our place?"

Lianara thought about it. "Would that be all right with you all? To make up for this misunderstanding?"

"Yeah! Food!" Luffy cheered with his fists up. He ran past the others and they hurried to catch up with him.

That took Lianara back a bit. "I take it it he was hungry," she guessed.

Zoro put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, he does that," he told her.

She pondered that as she picked up his swords for him. "So I take it that he has a never ending appetite then?" she assumed.

He begrudgingly sighed and nodded. "You have no idea." She gave him back his other two swords and they went to join everyone else.

"By the way, I won't apologize about our earlier quarrel," she suddenly said as they walked.

He lift a brow and look at her questionably. "And why is that?" he asked.

"I hadn't had a good fight since the last group of pirates came by. And let me tell you, they weren't much of a challenge. You are the first that actually held your own quite well. It's nice to have a worthy opponent."

Zoro couldn't help but huff a chuckle at that. "Well now a days, all the decent fighters and swordsman are off on the 'Grand Line', bounty hunting or with the marines," he brought up.

"So I've heard," she replied.

"I take it you've been undefeated for awhile now?" he asked.

She sighed in a depressed tone. "Unfortunately yes, but I'll have you know that my wins are mostly for my survival and to prove that I'm just as much of a fighter as any man. I will not be underestimated because I'm a woman," she proclaimed.

Although Zoro had a stoic front, deep down he was amazed by her strong spirit. He gave a small chuckle. "You know what, you remind me a lot of a late friend of mine."

Lianara looked at him sympathetically, then at his white sword. _'So it was her set of emotions I was feeling from it, not just his,'_ she thought.

"I apologize if I opened old wounds," she said to him in a sorrowful tone.

Zoro looked at her then shook his head. "Don't worry about it, it was a long time ago. Besides, it's quite refreshing to fight someone who's just as good with a sword as she was. Tells me that I need to 'up my game'," he assured her.

She hummed at that in slight amusement. "I take it you couldn't defeat her as you couldn't defeat me?" She gave him a sly grin.

He grumbled, telling her that she wasn't wrong.

She laughed. "So then would it be safe to assume that the white sword you carry was hers?"

Zoro looked at her in shock. "How did you-?!"

"When a true warrior cares for a weapon with all their heart, the weapon can have the ability to hold those strong emotions within it's self, making it stronger. That said, I was able to sense two set of emotions in that sword of yours. One belonged to you and the other was someone else's," she explained.

Zoro was impressed. "For someone who's been stuck on this land of paradise, you know sword mastery well," he replied back.

Lianara stiffened at that remark. "What makes you think I've never got off the Isle?" she nervously asked.

"The fact that you're the one that scares off all those pirates who come by this place from time to time, the bored tone in your voice when you say you win every fight _on this island,_ and you claim it to be _your island,_ " he emphasized the last few words. He turned to see that she was quiet and wasn't giving him eye contact. He grinned triumphantly. "Correct me if I'm wrong," he challenged.

"You certainly like to rub things in, don't you?" she huffed as she folded her arms irritably.

He laughed. "Consider it pay back," he smugly replied. Lianara looked at him and smiled as if amused.

"Well played Roronoa, well played."

 **...**

Back at the two sister's house, Lianara and Zoro found everyone lounging about at the front door.

"What are you guys doing?" Zoro asked.

"Waiting for you two since apparently Lia has the only key to the house," Nami stated to him flatly.

"I don't see what's the big deal. It's cool out here!" Luffy happily said as he sprawled himself out on the grass. Then he caught sight of the unique berries. "Plus we got these tasty looking berries here." He picked one off a vine and was about to eat it.

Both sisters widened their eyes.

"Don't eat that!" they cried to stop him. Just when the berry neared his mouth, it was snatched right out of his fingers and he bit the air where it used to be.

Luffy blinked and looked around. "Hey? Where did it go?"

The sisters sighed in relief and faced the one responsible for the missing berry.

"Perfect timing Izzy," Prilla said. Everyone looked to a see a colorful gecko munching on Luffy's berry.

Then Usopp turned to them asking, "Why can't he eat it? It's just a berry."

"The reason why is because it's a 'Fae food'," Lia explained. "Fae foods are unique berries, vegetables, fruits and other foods that gives good nourishment and energy to all Fae and their magic. If humans or mundane animals eat Fae food, then they will end up stuck eating just that for the rest of their lives."

"Well that sucks," three out of the four pirates figured.

Luffy, however, was the oblivious one. "I don't get it. So, why can't I have a berry?" he inquired.

Lia turned to Zoro. "Is he serious? I just explained it to him," she said in a 'Are you kidding me?' tone.

"That's Luffy for you," was all he answered.

She sighed irritably and walked up to Luffy. "Alright, let me put it like this. Do you by chance eat mundane foods like meats and other dishes?" she questioned him.

"Yeah," he nodded.

She put her hands on her hips. "Okay, so if you eat Fae foods, like you were about to with that berry, then you will never crave meat or other human foods for as long as you live. You will be eating Fae foods only."

Luffy paled and looked at Lia in sheer horror. "No more meat? That's horrible!" he shrieked.

"Thought that would get through your head," Lia said.

"Teh, he, he. Sucks to be you guys cause their good," Prilla bragged as she popped one in her mouth from the vines on the step railing.

Luffy gasped at her in fear. "What are you doing Prilla!? Now you're stuck just eating that!"

The sisters stared at him like he had grown a second head, then started laughing.

Nami and Usopp snickered at bit too, but the other two men were at a complete loss.

"What's so funny?" Zoro asked lifting a brow.

"Fae foods have no effect on us," Prilla told him, trying to calm down.

"Huh? Why?" asked Luffy, with no clue about what was going on.

"Right, you guys weren't with us when we met Prilla," Usopp figured.

"The reason they get to eat them, Luffy, is because **** _t_ _hey are fairies,_ " Nami pointed out. With that Prilla, gave them a bright smile as her wings came out from behind her back.

Luffy's eyes bugged out of his head and his jaw went slack. Zoro's eyes grew wide for a moment till something dawned on him.

"Well I guess that explains the whole standing and dancing on water thing," he figured.

"Wait, you two saw that?" Lia asked in a nervous tone.

"Yeah. The flowers in the wind were a nice touch by the way," he grinned at her embarrassment.

"Sooo, Coooool!" Luffy shouted as his eyes sparkled in amazement. He started to bombard them with questions. "What's it like to fly? Can you do magic? How did you stand on the water? Can fairies poop?"

The last question put Lia on edge and Prilla didn't know what to say. Luckily, Nami stepped in by ramming him in the head.

" **Moron!** You don't ask people that question!"

Luffy groaned in pain as his face was planted into the ground.

Lia calmed herself down by taking a deep breath in and letting it out. "With that out of the way, let's all just head inside so we can enjoy lunch," she said to them as she went up to the front door with an unique key.

As she opened the door, the crew was welcomed into a warm and humble home. Sunlight streamed in from the open windows that allowed the wind to bring in the scent of sweet smelling flowers.

"Huh, I kind of was expecting a lot of magic with a luxurious space and great creatures running about," Usopp said.

"Not all Fae like to live a grand and lively life style. Some just prefer to live life simply," Lia stated.

"Hey I'm not complaining, this is nice," Nami said as she sat herself down in the living room, as did the others. Zoro just stood and looked around.

"You guys just relax here while we get lunch ready," Prilla informed them as she and Lia walked into the kitchen.

Usopp leaned back on the chair he was sitting on and relaxed. "*Sigh* I could get used to a room like this. Almost makes me wish that the 'Merry' had one like it."

"I agree," Nami said as she was looking through a near by book shelf.

As for Zoro, he was looking at a painting of the falls that was hanging above the fire place. On the fireplace mantel was a bowl of water with flowers floating in it, an antique dagger, and a-

He froze at the last item. Next to the dagger was a small stone flower.

"No way," he whispered. He gently took it and held it in his hand. Looking at the bottom of the figure, what he saw confirmed his suspicions. On the bottom was a heart carved in the stone with two letters inside; Z/L.

"How did I not recognize her at the beginning?" he scolded himself. Zoro recalled the time he had met the one person that could stand up to Kuina and defeat her, long before he made his promise to her. Before that time, he had made a different promise. One he had kept in his heart for so long.

 _ **Flashback:**_

A month had passed since Zoro had first lost to Kuina. He was outside the dojo, training non-stop.

Then, "Excuse me?" He heard a soft and gentle voice in front of him. He looked up to see a kid no older than him yet she was slightly taller then him. She had light soft pink hair and beautiful burgundy eyes.

"Is Master Koushirou here? I'd like to speak with him," she said to him.

Zoro was a little lost for words, then he shook out of his thought and answered her. "Uh, yeah he's just in the dojo right now."

The girl smiled at him and politely bowed. "Thank you," was all she said before she walked to the dojo's doors.

Zoro couldn't help but blush at the girl that just walked away. Then he thought of something and quickly got up and ran to her.

"Uh hold up!" he yelled.

She turned to look at him.

"Uh, how about I go in first and tell him your here?"

"Alright, tell him that Lianara would like to speak to him. If you don't mind," she told him with a smile. He blushed even more, but went inside before she could notice.

Her name kept ringing in his head.

"Lianara," he whispered.

He walked down to the dojo and found his sensei up in front of his students, and Kuina sitting at the side lines watching with the other teachers. He couldn't help but scowl at her, but quickly shook it off and walked up to his teacher.

"Sensei," he called.

The older man looked at him, then raised his hand to stop his other students. Then he turned to Zoro with a smile on his face.

"What can I do for you Zoro?" he asked.

Zoro cleared his throat and answered him. "There's a girl named Lianara outside and she says she would like to speak to you."

Then, he started to hear the other students mumble, "Lianara is here?!" "You think she and Kuina will fight again?" "Maybe, Kuina's been wanting a rematch with her since last time." "I wonder if she's gotten prettier since last time?"

Zoro lifted a brow at one of the things he heard. _'Rematch? Does that mean Kuina has lost in a fight before?'_ Then he heard his teacher chuckle in joy.

"She might be here to return the lesson scrolls her brother borrowed," he claimed as he waked down the halls to the outside doors. Every boy in the class room huddled at the room's door frame. But Zoro, and surprisingly Kuina, followed sensei to the dojo's entrance.

When they made it to the door and sensei slide it open, all three found the pink haired girl standing there patiently with a small bag in her hands.

"Hello Master Koushirou, it's good to see you," she smiled and bowed to him. Zoro couldn't help but blush as did the other boys, but they were more loud about it.

Sensei smiled and bowed to her as well. "It's good to see you to Lianara. How is your bother doing today?" he politely asked. Kuina followed Sensei's example, as did Zoro. He noticed that Kuina was looking at Lianara rather intensely.

"He is doing very well. Thank you for asking. He also sends his thanks for letting him borrow your lesson scrolls," she said to him as she handed him her bag.

"It was a pleasure. Helping him teach you how to master the sword is truly an honor."

Lianara nodded in acknowledgement. Then she noticed Zoro next to the man.

"Oh. Hello again," she greeted. Zoro was taken aback slightly by the warm greeting. He shyly looked away but he greeted her back.

"Hi," he said. Lianara laughed a bit, and it made him blush even harder. Kuina noticed this and smirked; she was going to get a lot of mileage out him with this.

"I see you've meet my second best student, Zoro."

The little green haired boy cringed at the words 'second best'.

"One day I'm gonna be the best! Not her!" he screamed as he pointed to Kuina.

"Tah, keep dreaming. No matter how much you train, you'll never come close to surpassing me," she said with pride. Then Kuina turned to look at Lianara in all seriousness. "Speaking of which, I've been wanting a rematch since your last visit, Lianara."

"Now Kuina, she just got here from her long journey from her home-" Sensei was cut off by his daughter.

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind a small sparing match. Would you?" Kuina asked her.

Lianara shook her head. "Not at all. Brother and I were going to train before he asked me to return the scrolls. I don't mind a match," she replied.

Back in the Dojo, everyone cleared the floor for the girls fight. Zoro sat next to his teacher and the other adults. Kuina and Lianara were standing across from each other, ready to fight.

"Begin!" one of the teachers yelled. And the girls went at it. For a while, neither one of them found an opening to beat the other. Then finally, both girls had their practice swords at each others necks, making it a draw.

"Match over! No winner, match a draw for both Kuina and Lianara."

Lianara was the first to put her sword down. She took a breath and smiled at Kuina, "Good match Kuina. It's nice to have a worthy opponent."

"Hmm, yeah good match. And same to you," Kuina praised slightly. Zoro couldn't believe what he had just seen. There was someone who could actually come close to beating Kuina in a duel.

He started to hear the other boys talking. "A draw, that's a first." "Yeah, last time those two dueled Lianara was the victor." "Kuina must have trained harder since then." "What kind of training does Lianara's brother teach anyway?"

 _'Lianara_ _was able to beat_ _Kuina_ _?'_ Zoro pondered this and wondered why she didn't stay at the dojo. She would be a model student.

"Impressive you two. Lianara, why don't you stay in this dojo? You could learn and help other students master the sword as well," Sensei told her, pretty much voicing Zoro's thoughts out loud. The other students looked eager, hoping that she would say yes.

"That's very kind of you to offer Master Koushirou, but I have to say no," she replied.

Zoro and everyone in the room was shocked that she turned down the offer just like that.

"May I ask why?" Sensei asked calmly.

"I'm only here to train with my brother. That, and we're only staying till mid winter this year. I hope you understand." She bowed to him apologetically.

He hummed and nodded to her. "I understand. Thank you for your time and for your visit. Please come again soon," he told her. Lianara nodded to him with a smile. Then she turned to Kuina.

"Thank you for the match Kuina. I had fun," she bowed to her.

Kuina smiled and bowed to her. "No, thank you," she said with a smile as well. With that, Lianara gave the practice sword to Sensei, bowed again and left.

When she was gone Zoro turned to his teacher and asked, "Sensei, who is that girl?"

Sensei smiled at Zoro and explained, "Lianara is the sister of a good friend of mine who knows sword play as much as I do, maybe even better. Though neither of them have any interest in being masters of sword fighting. They learn it to defend and protect themselves and others from dangers they face in life."

This took the young boy by surprise. He wouldn't have minded fighting her in a duel; she wasn't as smug and mean as Kuina was.

"Where does she and her brother live exactly?" he asked again. Sensei turned to the doors and opened them, then lifted his hand and pointed to a hill side in view of the dojo.

"Just up to the east hill. From here it's an half hour trip. There are times the two will come here and visit or train. Sometimes they come to the dojo to teach or spar with the other students," he told Zoro. As he went back to teach the other students, Zoro just stared at the small house that was on the hill.

Kuina was watching him, she gave off a 'humph'. "If you're planning to fight with her, don't waste your breath. She fights with real sword masters like me for her training. She wouldn't waste her time with you," she insulted.

Zoro turned to her and growled, "We'll see about that!"

 **…**

Two weeks later Zoro walked up the east hill bright and early. As soon as he came to the house he saw two people out side practicing hand-to-hand combat. He noticed that the girl he had met was holding her own really well.

"Whoa, she can fight," he said impressed. He noticed the other person she was fighting was doing pretty good himself. The man Lianara was fighting had on fancy clothes. He wore strange earrings and a head band that went cross the forehead. His hair was a brownish-gray in a pony tail and he looked like he was in his mid teens.

Then, the two stopped for a moment and Lianara noticed Zoro standing a little ways from them.

"Oh, hello," she greeted happily. Zoro jumped a bit but nodded his greeting to her. The other man turned and saw Zoro too.

"Why hello there. Who might you be and what brings you here?" he asked the boy.

Zoro was going to answer until Lianara spoke first. "I believe his name is Zoro. He's the other student in master Koushirou's dojo I told you about, Thaylim."

Thaylim faced Zoro with a smile. "Oh so you're the one who wants to beat the old man's daughter Kuina, is that right?" he said to him with enthusiasm.

Zoro wasn't amused. "Yes, I take it your Lianara's older brother then?" he questioned.

Thaylim puffed up his chest as he straightened up. "That would be me. So what brings you here?"

"I would like to duel with your sister, if that's alright?" Zoro asked, not forgetting his manners.

Thaylim turned to his sister, and received a nod from her telling him 'It's fine'. He then faced Zoro with a proud smile.

"Not a problem at all, we were just about to train with swords anyway. You won't mind if I watch do you?"

Zoro shook his head.

"Alright then," Thaylim said, care-free as he grabbed two practice swords and tossed them at the two kids.

The two stood ready, positioning themselves in good stances.

Thaylim lifted his hand then brought it down, "Begin!"

The two fighters clashed swords. The fight lasted for a while and Zoro was doing good, until Lianara found an opening. The next thing Zoro knew, his sword was hit out of his hands and the tip of hers was at his neck.

"Match over! Winner is Lianara!" Thaylim proclaimed. Zoro looked like he was going to throw a fit until Lianara brought her weapon down and stuck her hand out to him.

"Good match," she said.

Zoro was stunned for a second, then he took her hand to shake it.

"Yeah, good match," was all he said. They heard laughing and turned to see Thaylim walking towards them.

"Good job kid. Other then Kuina, I've never seen anyone hold their own against my sister that long," he congratulated. "Hey kid, why don't you stick around for a bit? We were gonna have lunch soon. I'm sure your Sensei wouldn't mind," he suggested to Zoro.

"Uh, sure," Zoro replied.

The young adult's smile got bigger. "Great! I'll go let him know." With that he left the other two alone.

There was silence between the two. It was about to get awkward until Lianara broke the silence. "So, you dream to surpass Kuina and be the greatest?" she inquired.

This took the green haired boy by surprise.

"How did you-?!"

"Your outburst when I first meet you, and our fight earlier kind of gave it away," she laughed.

"It's not funny 'cause I will! I will beat her and I will become the greatest!" he shouted.

Lianara brought her hands up. "Hey I didn't say I don't believe you and I wasn't trying to offend you. I'm just stating what I thought," she explained calming him down.

"Oh." Zoro was quiet for a moment when a thought came to his mind. "What about you?" he asked.

"Huh?" She tilted her heard.

"You plan on surpassing your brother?"

They both sat down on the ground as they talked.

"Oh no. I want him to train me to become as strong as a fighter as him, yes. But not to surpass him," she said. Zoro looked at her, surprised on how mature her goal sounded.

"If you don't mind me asking, why do you want to be a strong fighter?"

"It's not a matter of 'I want to be', it's a matter of 'I have to be'."

"But why?"

She took a moment think of a good explanation. Then she turned to him. "Well you see, I want to see the world. But there are great dangers and threats out there that make it so one wrong move would be my last." Zoro stared at her as she continued. "Let's just say that with my family, we have to be aware of any possible consequence that could happen in the world. And I want to become as strong as my bother, so that I can help him protect the things and people we care for and love the most."

The young boy saw all the determination in her eyes and how serious she was about it. But then another thought came to him.

"But if you work hard protecting others, then who will protect you along the way?" he asked. Lianara pondered at the thought.

"That hadn't occurred to me actually. And to be honest, I don't think there'll be a person there to do so. I'll pretty much be on my own to achieve my goal and make my dream a reality. Especially with the life I have," she gravely whispered, though her last sentence wasn't low enough for him not to hear.

That wasn't a good enough answer for him, and he didn't like how it sounded either.

"That's still not right!" he yelled as he got up to his feet. "You can't accomplish anything if you don't have someone to support you! You may be strong, sure. But what happens if someone got the upper hand on you and there wasn't anyone there to help you? What then? If going off on your own is a rule for you, then screw that!" Every word he said was weighed with emotion that hit her deep.

"Zoro," she murmured.

"Achieving a life goal is a better experience with someone by your side, who can help and care for you just as much as you help and care for them," he finished addressing her. Lianara mulled over his words, smiled, got up and faced the sky.

"There's this saying that my father always told me and my siblings. 'The strength in one being's body will never press forward without the strength of their pure heart.' And I want to achieve just that," she said, then she faced Zoro. "But I think there's more to it. Maybe something like 'The strength of their pure heart and of others.' Maybe you're right, Zoro. Guidance from others is the best way."

Thinking on what to say next, an idea came to Zoro. He lifted his hand to Lianara. Confused by this, she was about to ask him why until he spoke first.

"With this, I promise that the next time we see each other, I will be the one to help you with your goal and dream as long as you need it," he said to her.

Lianara was speechless for a second. Then her hand grabbed his and she shook it.

"I'll hold you to that," she replied with a grin. Zoro blushed a bit and grinned back. Unbeknownst to them, Thaylim was hiding behind a tree, listing to the whole thing.

"Heh, well I'll be. Someone managed to break down that wall of hers after all. I have a feeling those two will work great with each other. Maybe in more ways than one." He smirked at that last comment.

 **...**

As months went by, the two became closer friends. They helped each other with their training and managed to accomplish much. As time went on, they started to develop deep feelings for each other. Thaylim at times would find ways to make those feelings grow stronger.

Then, when winter came, things gotten a little difficult. Zoro and Lianara's visits were cut short because her and her bother were getting ready to leave. When Lianara and her brother came to the dojo one last time to say their goodbyes, Zoro wouldn't have it. A goodbye wasn't enough for him, so he and Lianara thought of something else.

On the day before the two siblings left, Zoro came by, bearing a gift. He gave her a small stone flower that he had someone craft for him. He told her that was a symbol of his strong feelings for her and it's forever blooming bud would always show her that.

She couldn't help but laugh at his blushing face when he said that. In return, she gave him a small green four-leaf clover charm, showing him all the luck she wished for him on his journey.

 _ **End of Flashback:**_

Zoro brought out a thin gold chain that he hid in his shirt. At the end of it was the charm she had given him.

Back in the kitchen, Lia was going over her thoughts of the green haired man in her living room. _"I wonder if he still has his charm I gave him,"_ she wondered. Lia had known who Zoro was the minute they were about to fight. She saw that he hadn't changed one bit.

The two had the same thought come to both their minds.

 _'I wonder if he/she still loves me as much as I still love him/her.'_

 **To Be Continued...…..**


	5. Voyage 3

In less than an hour, Prilla came back into the living room.

"Thank you for waiting. Hope you're all hungry," she addressed them, giving them a bright smile. Luffy got excited as he and the others followed the little girl to the kitchen. Nami noticed that Zoro hadn't followed. He was just staring at an item in his hand. Curious, she walked up to him.

"Hey Zoro, is everything alright?" she asked. Apparently that was enough to break him out of his train of thought.

"Huh, what?"

"I asked if everything's alright," she said again.

Zoro sighed as he put the item that was in his hand back on the fire mantel. "Yeah just thinking that's all."

As Zoro walked to the kitchen, Nami looked at the little stone flower.

"Hmmm?" she wondered.

Back in the kitchen, everyone sat at the dinning table where all the food was waiting for them.

"Wow! This looks really good," Usopp said, impressed.

Each of them had a burger on their plate with some sides to it. Luffy's plate had six or seven.

"I figured you eat more, so I put more on your plate," Lia told Luffy.

"Awh, thanks!" he said as he started chowing down on his food. Everyone else started to eat too.

"Mhmm, these burgers are really good. What kind of meat did you use for the patty?" Nami asked the elder sister.

"Oh, there's no meat in it at all. The patty is made entirely out of black beans," Lia explained. This surprised the pirates, especially Luffy. They all looked at their food.

"Black beans? But it tastes like a regular burger with meat," Usopp quired.

Prilla giggled a bit. "Yes, but black beans have enough protein in them that when cooked they can taste like meat."

"Who cares? It's still good food," Luffy replied as he continued to eat.

His crew sweat-dropped. ' _He took that pretty well,'_ they all thought.

Nami turned to Lia. "So Lia, how long have you and your sister lived on this island?" she asked. Lia was quiet for a moment, till she answered the orange haired woman.

"Too long to count. Our parents had me come live on this island for two reasons: one, for training so my magic and fighting skills can progress, and second, to keep a promise they made with a friend of theirs."

They looked at her questionably.

"I get the training and magic part, but exactly what kind of promise has you hunkered down on this Island?" Usopp questioned.

"Hmmm? Are any of you familiar with the story of Gold Roger finding 'Avalon'?" Lia questioned back to all four of them.

Nami nodded. Usopp shrugged. Luffy and Zoro looked like they didn't have a clue what she was talking about.

"Alright then I'll explain," Lia said. The crew leaned in a bit to hear her story. "About a year before the execution of the great 'Pirate King', Gold Roger and his crew found something they never thought they could find. A Key, but not just any key. The key to finding the one place where the children stories you hear or read are real. A place where miracles and magic thrive. The Kingdom of the Fae; 'Avalon'. Gold Roger and his men used the Key to set a course to the island. Once they found it, they ended up getting a 'welcome' from the Fae. But not in a good way."

That got Luffy to tilt his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that as soon as the pirate king and his men set foot on land, The Fae had them on their knees at spear-point," Lia told the straw hat boy. Everyone but the girls were taken up back.

"Why were the fairies so hostile?" Usopp asked.

He got his answer from Nami in the form of a question. "Was it because they were pirates?"

Lia nodded and explained. "Long before Gold Roger, there was bad blood between the Fae and Pirates. Back then, pirates captured different kinds of Fae to lead them to treasure or enslave them for their amusement and to live like kings. Or worse, to sell them to other cruel humans like they where nothing but items in a market." Lia's voice was dripping with disgust.

Luffy and Zoro didn't like it either; their eyes were shadowed in anger.

"At that point they stopped their tyranny on the fairies when the Fae started to fight back and used their magic to perform powerful spells and curses. On 'Avalon', the Fae thought Roger was the same or maybe even worse. But what they didn't expect was that as soon as they had him and his men surrounded, Roger disregarded his weapons and just sat down. His crew did the same. Then he asked, ' _May I speak with your leaders of this island, please?'_ The Fae didn't know what to say."

Luffy laughed a bit.

"I bet no one saw that coming," Usopp replied, amused.

"Yeah, no kidding," Nami agreed.

"Anyway, the Fae didn't need to worry about sending someone to do that because the great rulers of the island were already there. There in front of Roger and his men was The Lady and Lord themselves; Queen Titania and King Oberon. The two wondered why Roger and his crew had come to their land. Roger told them of his travels and adventures through the Grand Line and how he only wished to see Avalon and it's citizens in order to witness their magic and cultures first hand, just like he had dreamed when he was a boy."

Lia paused her story as she heard two of the boy's sigh.

"To find an island of untold adventure and magic. That would be anyone's dream," Usopp stated.

"Yeah," said Luffy.

They both sighed again.

"Will you both shut-up and let Lia continue her story?" Nami seethed at them.

Lia giggled a bit as she proceeded on. "Their majesties were surprised by Roger's good-will attitude and saw in his heart that he was a true and honest man. With the whole ordeal set aside, the king of the pirates and his jolly crew got the adventure they hoped for. Over time Roger and the fairy rulers became close friends. So much so that when it was time for him and his fellow pirate crew to leave, they gave three precious fairy treasures to him in memory of his time in the Fae world."

"What did they give him?!" Luffy and Usopp asked, sitting on the edge of their seats in pure excitement. Even Nami wanted to know, her anxious smile gave her away.

Lia laughed at their antics. "The first was the 'Key' to Avalon, so that he or his trusted crew mates could return whenever they wished. The second was one of Titania's priceless tiaras. And finally, King Oberon's sword. But the latter two had a purpose; for the their majesties wanted Gold Roger himself to give them to Avalon's next heir to the throne. Roger was honored to hold such a responsibility, but he told the king and queen that if he wasn't able to do it in late future, then someone else had to do it. Someone who could hold the title of 'Pirate King' and be a true friend to the Fae like Roger was."

The childish men looked at her in awe, as did Nami and Zoro.

The swordsmen whistled impressed. "To crown the next ruler of the Fairies, that's a hefty responsibility."

"And to the King of the Pirate's no less," Nami added.

"Hey, at least that gave him a reason to come back," Prilla stated.

Lia started to look sad. "Too bad he couldn't."

They looked at her, wondering why she said that.

Then Luffy spoke. "Was it because of his execution?"

"Yes. When all of Avalon heard the news, the rulers grieved deeply, because not only had they lost a friend that day, but also a way to have humans and fairies live in harmony once more," Lia explained.

This made the pirates in front of her confused.

"What do you mean 'live in harmony once more'?" Usopp asked.

"Long ago, Fae kind and human kind once lived peacefully on the earth together. But over time, humans began to believe in _their_ opinions of fact instead of magic. Then later, humans forgot the existence of Fae kind." Lia looked down at her hands solemnly. "The Fae hoped that Roger could bring humans to believe again. But, that can't happen when a true believer dies along with that dream. But the king and queen thought of a plan. They remembered that Roger said that in the future someone who is full of the same spirit as he was would eventually be the one to crown Avalon's heir. So they went to the 'East Blue' and created this island so their child, the heir to the throne, could live here when they came of age. Once they came of age, they lived here, waiting for the next pirate king to find them."

With that Lia was done with her story.

"Whoa, that's pretty deep," Usopp said.

"Yeah, it sounds like fairies have it tough," Nami agreed.

Prilla moped on the table. "You have no idea. I mean say a fairy or any kind of Fae made an appearance to humans. What do you think will happen?"

The pirate crew felt sorry for them. They knew the that there would be many consequences if that happened.

Lia got up from her seat and stretched, then faced them. "Well, I've had enough of this gloomy atmosphere. What do you say we get to know each other better in the living room with dessert?"

That immediately changed everyone's mood, especially Luffy's.

The day started to come to a close and the sisters and the pirate's relaxed in the living room with a fire keeping them warm.

"So Lia, are all fairies vegetarians?" Nami asked, taking another bit of her brownie.

"No, there are some fairies that do have meats in their diet, but that completely depends on the type of fairy they are," Lia answered.

Prilla started to giggle. "If you guys want a feast with a boat load of meat, you should hang out with the dwarfs."

Usopp and Luffy tilted their heads. "Dwarfs?" they both inquired.

"Do you mean those little bearded men?" Usopp asked.

The sisters nodded their heads and Lia spoke. "Yep, but just so you know there are women dwarfs too. And like I said before, the magic creatures you've read about in books are real."

"I'll take your word for it, since you're friends with a real dragon," Zoro said, looking at the reptile resting in front of the fire place.

Then Luffy turned to Prilla as he was still eating. "Hey Prilla, how old are you?" he asked as he paused between his chewing.

"It's not nice to talk with your mouth full," she sweat-dropped, then answered his question. "I'm currently ten and a half, I'll be eleven in a few days." She blossomed a smile.

Nami couldn't help but smile too. "Any ideas for your birthday?" she asked.

Prilla tilted her head thinking. "Haven't thought of any yet but I'll figure it out," she replied happily to the navigator.

Luffy then faced Lia when he finished his treat. "Hey Lia, there's something I've been wanting to ask you."

Zoro stared at his captain, wondering what he was going to say. Then he remembered, and let out a sigh. "Here we go," he sighed to himself flatly.

"Will you and your sister join my crew?"

There was a slight hint of seriousness in the straw hat boy's tone. This took everyone by surprise, though his crew was even more surprised.

" _Is he actually asking politely?!_ " they all thought, bewildered by that fact. Lia said nothing as she took a sip of her milk to wash down the brownies she had eaten. Everyone in the room stared and waited for the woman's answer. She took a moment of silence to think, then she looked up and faced Luffy.

"I'll give you your answer tomorrow in the morning. Does that sound good?"

No one in the crew saw that coming.

"Okay," was all Luffy said. Nami noticed that during the whole conversation with the girls, Zoro's gaze had never left Lia.

 _'There must be something going on between them,'_ she thought. She told herself that she was going to get to the bottom of it soon.

Just then, a yawn left Prilla's lips.

Lia smiled and chuckled a bit. "It looks like it's getting late. That means to bed with you Prill."

Prilla quickly shook her head. "Na uh, you promised me you'd tell me a story first." The little girl folded her arms.

Lia sighed and shook her head. "Fine, but afterwards you get ready for bed, deal?"

"Deal!" With that Prilla ran out of the lounge and upstairs to her room.

"Your sister really adores you," Nami said with a smile.

"Yeah." Lia smiled too. "Well, how about I show you guys to our guest rooms. I'm sure you guys are still processing the events that happened today," Lia offered kindly.

"You got that right. After seeing a real dragon and learning that fairies are real and all that. I'm kind of exhausted," Usopp moaned, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, me too," Luffy said, just now starting to yawn.

"Really, now?" Zoro and Usopp sweat dropped. Lia lead the group upstairs to their rooms. They stopped in front of two doors.

Lia went to one of them. "Here's where you can sleep, Nami." She opened the door for the orange haired women. Inside Nami found a beautiful bedroom.

"It's gorgeous! Thanks Lia!" Nami thanked as she flopped on the bed. "So comfy~," the woman said in bliss.

"Oh, just to let you know. The door to your left leads to the guys, that way you can check on each other. But don't worry; it locks on your side," Lia informed her. Nami nodded and went back to enjoying the bed. "Now for you boys, here's your room." She opened the other door to show a three bed bedroom.

"Wow!" "Ooooo!" "Nice." Luffy, Usopp, and Zoro admired the bedroom like they had never been in anything this nice before.

"And the bathroom is just across from you. If you guys need anything feel free to ask. Now if you all will excuse me, I have a short girl to be with," Lia told them in a teasing tone at the end.

"You didn't need to tell them that!" they heard Prilla yell from somewhere.

Lia just laughed as she walked away. With that said and done, Luffy didn't hesitate to jump on one of the beds.

"Aaaah, so soft~! Wish we had beds like these on the 'Merry'," Luffy exclaimed.

"I couldn't agree more Luffy," Usopp sighed as he to flopped on a bed. Then he looked at Zoro, who was facing the way Lia left. "Hey Zoro, you gotta feel how comfy these beds are," Usopp exclaimed with enthusiasm.

"May be later, I need to see something first." And Zoro walked away, leaving two confused fellow pirates behind him.

"What's eating him?" Usopp questioned.

"I don't know," Luffy answered.

Zoro walked down the hall, until be came to a door that opened to reveal; Nami. They both surprised each other.

"Oh, hey Zoro," Nami waved.

"You wasted no time to make yourself at home," he grumbled as he saw her in a bathrobe and her hair in a towel.

Nami gave him a small scowl. "Hey, we're esteemed guests to the girls and they welcomed the whole house to us. I don't hear the others complaining, do you?"

Zoro rolled his eyes, then he and Nami heard voices down the hall. They headed to the source. In another room they found Lia and Prilla talking in Prilla's bedroom. They both hid around the corner of the door as they listen in on them.

"Wasn't today fun Li? We got to make new friends outside of the island and we got invited to join a pirate crew!" Prilla exclaimed excitedly while bouncing in her bed. Lia laughed a bit as she put some of Prilla's stuffed animals back on her bed.

"Yep, a lot of exciting things happened today. I even got to see a good friend of mine," Lia said softly. At that last sentence, she smiled with the hint of a blush dusting her checks.

The smile and the blush went unnoticed to the two outside in the hall listening in on the conversation.

"What did she mean by that?" Nami wondered.

Zoro just kept quiet, but his mind spoke volumes.

 _'She really does remembers me!'_ he exclaimed in thought, getting excited.

"So, what story do you want to hear tonight?" the two heard Lia ask her little sister.

Prilla thought about it for a while until a thought came to her.

"The story of 'The Jewels of Serene Isle'," she told her elder sister with big excited eyes. This caught Zoro's and Nami's attention, especially Nami's.

Lia hummed and sat on the end of the bed. "Haven't told that one in a long time." She got herself comfortable on the bed and Prilla leaned in to listen to her. Izzy hopped on her head to hear the story too.

Lia began to tell the tale. "Well, as you know, mom and dad created this Island for either Thaylim and I to train and, hopefully, to be found by the next Pirate King. But they didn't want to either one of us on this Island with nothing to do, no. So they decided to hide some of their most precious jewels here."

Lia paused and pulled out a rolled piece of paper. It was revealed to be a map of the island. Lia guided her finger across the parchment as she spoke. "Just east of the house, through the Clear Forest Marshes, past the Lake of Tranquil Falls, then across Echo Canyon. There on that side of the isle, you will find the most beautiful valley of flowers you will ever see. And in that valley, is a magnificent cherry tree with blossoms that never wither away."

Everything that Lia said was surprising Nami and Zoro by the minute. But what really got them was the beginning of her story.

"I can't believe we didn't figure this out before! I mean the clues were right there in front of us!" Nami yelled in a whisper. Zoro just kept quiet and stared at the girls in the room. The reason for their antics was because they had figured out that Lia and Prilla were the daughters of the rulers of Avalon, making them princesses. And Lia was the heir to the throne.

They snapped out of it when Lia continued her story to Prilla. "Then, at the bottom of the tree is a gorgeous chest. In it are hand carved jewels that dad had made for mom from his adventures in the world. Each jewel is made to show the beauty that he saw in something that he found on his voyages. He wanted to show mom that there is beauty out into the world, not just at 'Avalon'."

"And then they hid them here for safe keeping and for us to find when we want to go treasure hunting!" Prills happily finished.

Liz laughed. "That's right. Now bed." She got up to tuck Prilla in.

"I bet Thaylim came up with that idea," Prilla said with a yawn and was soon fast asleep.

Lia gave her sister a sad smile. "Yeah, he did."

Zoro and Nami saw Lia walking up to the doorway and quickly hid so she won't see them. She walked in the opposite direction down the hall. As soon as she was out of sight, the two came out of hiding.

"I wonder who Thaylim is?" Nami asked to no one. But she got her answer from Zoro.

"He's their older brother." His eyes never left where Lia had walked away. Then he started walking in the same direction the woman had left. Nami gave him a confused look as she watched him go.

"Hey where are you going? And how did you know that?" she asked but he kept walking.

"I just do and there's something I need to do," was all Nami received from him as he disappeared down the hall as well. Nami placed her hands on her hips and sighed, then she figured out why he was behaving this way.

"Oh this I gotta tell the others," she said to herself mischievously and she ran to where the other boys were.

 **...**

Just outside the house, Lia sat on a bench in a elegant garden of flowers that seemed to glow in the moon light. Lia leaned back on the bench as she soaked up the moon lit night.

"Thought I'd find you out here," she heard someone say to her. She turned to see Zoro at the other end of the bench. He came over and sat next to her.

She huffed a smile. "Took you long enough to figure it out."

Zoro groaned in response but grinned at the end. "I can't believe you still have it," he muttered. Lia knew he was talking about the flower in the living room.

"Of course I still have it. It's what kept me going even in my gravest times and reminded me to look forward to our next meeting," she assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Zoro looked at her with a smile and she gave one back to him.

"So... do you still have the charm?" Lia asked, trying not to look to obvious. Zoro laughed and brought his hand up to his shirt and pulled out the chain.

"What do you think?" he asked quite smugly with a grin. The pinkette's eyes softened.

"It's the one lucky thing I believed in," he told her. The two sat in a comfortable silence for a moment or two until Zoro went to a different subject. He leaned back on the bench with his elbows on it at both of his sides and faced the sky. "So this whole time you were a fairy princess," he sighed. Then he turned to look at her.

Lia's face saddened then she looked at the ground. "I'm sorry for not telling you the first time," she apologized.

Zoro sighed again and sat up straight. "Don't worry about it. You had your reasons and I bet I can figure out some of them."

Lia looked at him a bit astonished that he was taking the news so well. Then relaxed a bit and made a small grin of her own. Zoro grinned too and faced the sky again with his eyes closed.

"So would the pipsqueak be the youngest or do you have another?"

Lia faced him, confused by his question until she realized who he meant. "Oh Prilla, yes. She's the youngest of the four of us."

"The four of you?" Zoro opened one of his eyes and lifted a brow.

"Well it starts off with Thaylim, then me. Then you have Terence, who's a real book worm. There hasn't been a day were I haven't seen his nose out of a book," she complained.

Zoro couldn't help but find that last comment amusing.

"And then lastly, you have Prilla, but don't let her cute face fool you. She can even win in a fight with Sakura," Lia warned him.

"Good to know," he laughed, then paused for a moment then looked at her. "So your the next ruler? How does that feel?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

Lia sighed. "In all honesty, it feels terrifying. I mean, to look after and be responsible for the entire Fae kingdom and all the Fae that exist? It's a lot to handle."

"Then why isn't Thaylim the heir? He is the oldest, that's how it usually works right?" Zoro inquired.

He didn't get an answer. Lia's eyes were shadowed by her hair and her face darkened. When Zoro looked at her and noticed this, he started to get concerned. Lia then stood up and took a few steps away from him.

"If I try sugar-coating it, it will only make me feel worse. You want to know why Thaylim isn't the heir to the throne? It's because he passed on a year ago when we attempted to do a rescue mission for a fellow Fae colony," she answered him.

Zoro's eyes widened at the news and was too shocked to say another word, at least not out loud.

 _'So that's why I haven't seen him on the isle with Lia. But why am I just hearing this now?'_

Then he got up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry Lia."

She brought her arm up to wipe away her tears. "Don't apologize, it wasn't your fault."

"And I highly doubt it was yours either. But I kind of want to know, how did it happen?" Zoro asked.

The pinkette crossed her arms and started to shake in fear. That did not go unnoticed by Zoro. It was as if he felt her shaking.

"If it's all the same to you Zoro, I'd rather not relive that moment or even try to tell you. It's just... it's just-" Zoro didn't let her finish as he wrapped his arms around her from behind to calm her down. As soon as she stopped shaking, he loosened his hold on her just a bit.

"You don't have to tell me. But when you're ready to do it, I'm right here for you," Zoro said to her lovingly. Lia leaned into his embrace and the two stood there, savoring the moment. Little did they know, that the window to the boys' room was slightly open and three certain people had heard the whole thing.

Usopp was trying to compose himself as he was in tears and sniffling. "Such a touching reunion. Two friends back together after all this time."

Nami rolled her eyes and whacked his head. "Shut up, you're being pathetic," she growled, then she looked back and stared at the two outside. _'To be the next ruler of Avalon. A great responsibility that was meant for her elder brother. But, now that he's gone, she has to bear that weight on her shoulders now,'_ Nami thought sympathetically with a frown.

"You guys think we can help her?" Luffy asked his friends, facing away from the window. The sniper and the navigator gave him a curious look.

"What do you mean Luffy?" Usopp asked him.

"I mean, maybe we can help her with being the next ruler. 'Cause it looks like she doesn't want to do it alone," Luffy thoughtfully stated.

Nami and Usopp looked at each other and thought about it.

"Well the first thing we can offer is getting her and her sister off this island. Since they've been stuck here for a while," Usopp suggested.

"Yeah, and since you're planning on being the next king of the pirates Luffy, it's only natural that you would want to help them. Especially since you would have the responsibility of crowning Lia the next ruler," Nami pointed out rather smugly at the end.

Luffy started to get excited. "Yeah! And I'll make sure that Lia becomes the best ruler of Avalon and everyone will know about it!" he declared with a big smile on his face. His friends smiled too as they promised to be there for Lia whenever she needed them.

 **...**

The next day, about an hour before sunrise, all three of boys were sleeping peacefully in their beds. Then the door to their room opened slightly. At Usopp's bed, something flicked his nose, causing him wake up.

"Huh wha?" He looked around to see Prilla standing next to his bed.

"Shhh," she told him as she walked over to Luffy's bed.

"Prilla what are you doing? _*yawn*_ Don't you realize what time it is?" Usopp asked tiredly.

Prilla walked up to Luffy and started to pull his cheek. When she stretched it far enough, she let go, making his cheek smack him in the process. Luffy woke up but still looked tired. He then saw Prilla with a smile on her face.

"Oh hey Prilla, what's up?" he asked, scratching his head.

"Shhh, quiet guys! I want to have one last adventure on the isle before Li and I leave with you," the young fairy told them.

This made Luffy fully awake and excited. "You mean you guys are joining the crew?!"

"Shhh!" both Prilla and Usopp shushed him, and they looked at Zoro's bed to see that he was still asleep.

Prilla sighed in relief, then she faced Luffy with a smile and nodded at his last remark. "Yep, Li's putting all our stuff on your ship now. We should be able to leave before noon. But I wanna explore the isle one last time before that and I was wondering if you guys want to come with me?" she asked, hoping that they would say 'yes'.

"Couldn't it wait till morning? It's still dark out," Usopp stated, looking out the window to prove his point.

Prilla shook her head. "The sooner we go exploring the sooner we can come back and have fun before we leave. Besides, it's only an hour until sunrise anyway," she stated.

Luffy smiled and said, "Sure, I'll go with you. I still want to see more of this place."

Prilla squealed quietly in delight while bouncing and clapping her hands. They turned to look at Usopp, waiting for his answer.

Usopp sighed in defeat. "Alright, what adventure did you have in mind?" he asked Prilla.

Luffy and Prilla were so happy that he agreed to join. Prilla then pulled out a map of the isle, the same map that Lia showed her last night.

"How about looking for the treasure my parents hid on the isle?" She gave them a cheeky grin as they both gaped at her and the map.

"You mean there's treasure from your parents, the fairy king and queen-!" "Hiding on this island, for us to find?!" Usopp and Luffy finished each other's sentences in awe.

"Yep, it's on a part of the isle even I haven't been to. Which makes it even more exiting!" Prilla said getting anxious to leave. All of a sudden, in a wild dash, the two boys were fully clothed and ready for the day.

"What are we waiting for? There's fairy treasure out there we need to find!" Luffy yelled in a whisper.

"Hurry and get dressed Prilla. We can't go without you," Usopp told the little girl.

Prilla beamed as her heart was filled with joy. "Yeah!"

With that, the trio got ready and left the house to start their treasure hunt.

When the morning sunrise came, Nami and Zoro were wide awake for the day, though they were wondering were everyone else was. The first place they looked was the kitchen. No one was there but a plate filled with an assortment of muffins with a note. That said;

 _"If all of you are awake, meet me at your ship. Have a muffin before you do. I'm sure you'd want breakfast by now so enjoy. Sincerely, Lia."_

When Nami finished reading, she said, "I'm surprised that there are still muffins here." She raised a brow, seeing that the food looked like it hadn't been touched since being put on the table.

"I'll say. I'd have expected Luffy to have eaten the whole plate by now," Zoro retorted. Nami nodded her head in agreement as she took a poppy seed muffin.

"Well let's go see what Lia's doing at the 'Merry'," she suggested, taking a bite. Zoro just hummed as he took a cinnamon muffin.

Then, as they headed outside, Nami decided to take the chance to tease Zoro. "So when do you plan on taking Lia on a date~?"

This made Zoro spit out a piece of his muffin. "Wha.. What?!"

"I saw you were acting weird around her yesterday and I saw you and Lia outside last night. Plus, I heard a bit of your conversation. It didn't take long for me to figure it out and put the pieces together," she said as she pointed her nose in the air.

 _'This woman!'_ Zoro fumed at her in his mind while giving her a death glare.

When the two made it to 'Serene Bay', they found Lia putting her and Prilla's luggage on the 'Going Merry'. They also noticed a new addition to 'Merry' as well; a small green house that took up the back side of the structure where the ship's kitchen was, close to the rear mast.

As Lia was on the deck, putting one of her bags of luggage down, she noticed the two on the bay.

"Good morning! Did you sleep well?!" she called out to them with a wave and a smile.

Nami waved back. "Yep, and thanks for the muffins!"

Lia laughed a little. "You're welcome! Sorry for not making a full breakfast though. Didn't have time," she apologized.

Zoro shook his head. "Don't worry about it. It was still good," he assured her. "So does this mean you're joining our crew, along with your sister?" Zoro asked.

Lia beamed at him and nodded. "Mhmm! Like I'm gonna back out on an offer that could finally get me off the Isle. Seriously, it's been getting really boring here. If I go another day with nothing new to do, I'll go mad," she dead-panned. Nami and Zoro sweat-dropped.

Nami looked up at Lia and asked, "So... Did you build that green house?"

Lia came back to reality and looked at what Nami was talking about. "Oh that. Yeah, I just finished it recently. Do you guys want to check it out?" she asked brightly. The two looked at each other and shrugged.

"Sure why not?" Zoro said plainly.

After they helped Lia get the rest of the luggage, they went over to Lia's green house.

"Before we go in, I want you guys to take a good look at it," Lia told them, which they did.

"Umm? How are we all gonna fit in there exactly? It doesn't seem like it will be roomy in there for us," Nami implied.

Lia chuckled. "You might want to rethink that Nami." She opened the green house door. Once Lia opened it, Nami and Zoro's jaws literally dropped to the floor.

 _(Ignore the little girl and the buildings.)_

Inside the green house was a large spacious plant life wonderland! with plants of various shapes, sizes, color, and species. Nami closed the door and looked around the structure, then opened the door and looked inside.

Lia laughed and explained. "It's a fairy spell called 'space'. When you use it on an area or structure with minimal room, the space spell can make the inside look like a large building or arena."

"Incredible," Nami breathed.

"Mhmm," was all that Zoro said.

"Glad you think so. I wanted to bring something that can remind me and Prilla of home, so I thought the green house would be a good idea. I bet Luffy and Usopp would be excited to see it. Speaking of which, where are the boys?"

The two pirates stared at her oddly.

"You don't know where they are?" Nami questioned.

Lia frowned and shook her head. "No, I haven't seen any one but you two this morning," she replied. Then Lia had a thought. "There's a possibility that Prilla might have taken them on one of her little adventures on the Isle."

"What makes you say that?" asked Zoro.

"'Cause she was the only other person awake at the same time as me. Plus, in the mornings, Prilla likes to play explorer to keep herself entertained," Lia stated flatly.

Zoro went through his thoughts for a minute, then said, "Well, when it was still dark out, I over heard a bit of their conversation about treasure hunting."

This made Lia freeze. "Treasure hunting you say?" she asked. She turned to him with a flat yet grim face as she sweat-dropped.

"Yeah?" Zoro tilted his head. Lia started to frantically search through her clothes for something but couldn't find it.

"That little thief! No wonder she wanted to hear that story," Lia grumbled.

"What is it Lia? What's wrong with them going on a treasure hunt?" Nami asked a little worried.

"What's wrong is that the map leads to a certain danger that protects my parents' treasure!" Lia shouted.

Nami sweat-dropped in fear. "What kind of danger?"

"Let me explain it like this. To ensure the safety of my parents' jewels, my father placed a spell on Echo Canyon. It's a spell that renders all other powers and outside magic completely useless until you are out of the canyon."

Then Zoro began to worry. "And by 'other powers' does that also mean Devil fruit powers too?" he asked with a serious tone.

"Not exactly. Against Fae magic, Devil fruit powers don't work at all in general. So for the entire treasure hunt, whichever one of your friends that has Devil fruit powers will be powerless since the path is practically overflowing with magic," Lia exclaimed.

"I still don't see how that's dangerous," Nami said not seeing the problem.

Lia turned to her and explained to her in a stern tone. "What makes the situation dangerous is that Echo Canyon is on the east side of the Isle, which is closer to where the air is saltier, causing rocks to be weak and crumble under foot. So when they get to the crossing, it could collapse and have them fall to their deaths!"

"Then we need to stop them!" Zoro retorted. The girls agreed and ran with him. They all hoped that they could get to their friends in time.

 **...**

Meanwhile, the treasure hunting group was half way to the first trail mark on Prilla's map.

"So Prilla, what's the first place we have to go through?" Usopp asked, carrying a big hiking pack on his back. Luffy was just stuffing his face with some muffins Prilla had packed for him.

"Well, according to the map, we should be seeing the 'Clear Forest Marshes' right about-"

"Whoa!"

Prilla was cut-off by the boys' flabbergasted remarks. She looked away from the map to see what they where seeing, and found herself viewing the marshes.

"Is there any place on this Isle that isn't so amazing!?" Luffy questioned excitedly.

"If there was, I haven't seen it yet," Prilla answered. They walked on through the forest marshes, Luffy ran up to a water ridge.

"So cool! The water's so clear you can see what's in it!" Luffy stated, seeing the rocks, fish, and plants in the water.

"That's why it's called the _'clear'_ forest marshes Luffy," Usopp huffed.

"You sure that bag's not heavy for you Usopp?" Prilla asked, checking how he's doing.

"Don't worry Prilla, the bag with our supplies is safe with me," he stated proudly. He then leaned down to her ear and whispered, "And I'll make sure that 'Greedy Pig' over there doesn't eat our food." He pointed over to Luffy, who was now trying to catch a fish.

Prilla just giggled, then she spotted something out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh wow!" she exclaimed as she ran over to it.

"What is it Prilla? What did you find?" Usopp asked, walking up to her. Luffy quickly ran up to them to see what was going on.

"Look!" Prilla pointed at ice-blue moss growing on a rock in the water. "That's ice-moss! This stuff works great as pain-relief on bruise, scraps, rashes, and headaches! I read about it in Li's books but I've never seen it for real!" she exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Wow, so this stuff helps your sores get better?" Luffy questioned. Usopp looked at him, impressed that he was able to get that much.

Prilla nodded her head. "Mhm! We should take some with us. You never know when we might need it." She went to reach for it and nearly slipped. Luffy caught her just in time.

"Tee he, that was a close one," he smiled.

"Yeah," Prilla agreed.

"You need to be more careful Prilla. You could have fall into the water, and I don't think we packed extra clothes for you," Usopp replied, placing a hand on his heart to calm down.

"Sorry," she apologized.

"No problem, I'll get it for ya," Luffy said, stepping in the water and walking up to the rock with the moss. As soon as he picked some he said, "Oooo! This stuff feels nice when you touch it! Nice and cool!" he shouted as he walked back to the two on land.

"Really? Let me see." Usopp put his hand on the moss that Luffy had brought, then his eyes widened. "Your right! This is nice and cool!"

Prilla laughed, holding up a bag for Luffy to put the moss in, which he did.

"That was a neat find. And we're just starting our adventure," Usopp laughed.

Luffy joined him. "Yeah! I wonder what else we'll find on the way to the treasure!?" He pumped his fists in excitement.

"We'll just have to keep going to find out!" Prilla cried out joyfully.

So the group walked on to towards the treasure, hoping to find more discoveries along the way.

"Hey, do you guys get the feeling that something might go wrong on this adventure?" Usopp asked the other two. Prilla and Luffy looked at each other them back to him.

"No," Luffy said plainly.

"Let's not worry about it right now Usopp. Like you said, we're just starting. So if something does go wrong, we'll be prepared for it," Prilla assured the long nosed man.

Usopp was still a little skeptical. "I hope we are prepared," he gulped as ran to catch up. He was not wrong to be worried, for the path ahead of the group would be challenging for them.

 **To Be Continued...**


	6. Voyage 4

Beyond the trails of the Clear Forest Marshes, the mischievous bunch of three were approaching another mark on the map.

"Okay! What's next on the trail Prilla?" Luffy joyfully asked.

"Let's see." Prilla took out the map and checked it. "From the looks of it, we should be coming close to 'The Lake of Tranquil Falls'."

Usopp hummed at a thought. "Is it called that because it's connected to the falls and the source of it's water?" he asked the young fairy.

Prilla confirmed it with a nod. "Yep. It's also were the 'Light Lilies' grow."

Luffy and Usopp tilted their heads. "Light Lilies?"

The little girl giggled at them. "They're basically like water lilies, only they actually grow at the bottom of lakes. They only bloom when it's night time. And when that happens, they start to glow and shine like stars!" she enthusiastically exclaimed.

"Ooooooo!" the boys awed.

Prilla laughed. "One time, my older brother Terence, he thought they were actual stars that had fallen in a pond, near our home. He dived in to grab one, but when he came back up, all he got was a hand full of lilies," she recalled, trying not go into a hysteric fit.

The two men tried to stifle their laughter too.

"That must have been a disappointment to him," Usopp said, amused.

"Yeah, I bet the look on his face was funny too," Luffy added, chuckling.

"Oh it was. Sometimes, me and Li tease him by bringing that up," Prilla giggled.

Then, the three soon saw a beautiful lake surrounded by grass and all sorts of wild flowers. It also had it's own little island in the middle of it.

"Oh nice!" "Now that's a lake." Luffy and Usopp fawned over it. Prilla hummed in agreement. She walked off the trail, and started going toward the lake.

"Why don't we rest for a minute? The trail will get a bit harder when we enter Echo Canyon, which happens to be over those hills," Prilla stated, pointing at the hills that were on the other side of the lake. Luffy wasted no time by running towards the lake, laughing like a maniac.

"I bet you can see through the water here to!" he joyfully cried out.

Usopp started to shout at him. "Luffy! Slow down! You'll end up falling into the water if you don't! And I'm fully aware that you can't swim!"

Prilla put a reassuring hand on his arm. "Don't worry Usopp. If he does fall in, I have some friends that can help," she told him.

The long nose man looked at her questionably. "What kind of friends are we talking about here?" he asked.

Suddenly, as Usopp had predicted, Luffy slipped and fell into the lake.

"Whoa!" Luffy cried out.

"Luffy!" Usopp screeched, running towards his fallen companion. But he soon halted himself in shock when he saw his friend being lifted out of the water by the lake itself and placed back on dry land.

"What the-?" was all the straw hat boy said.

"P, P, Prilla. Wha-, what just happened?" Usopp shakily asked the girl as he watched the water return to the lake. Prilla just calmly walked past him and up to Luffy.

"Are you alright Luffy?" she asked.

Luffy just looked at her and said, "Yeah but, how did the lake do that?"

Prilla just smiled.

"It wasn't the lake that helped you silly," she said as she walked up to the edge of the water. "It was him." Suddenly, as soon as she mentioned 'him', some water burst out of the lake to form a ball of water. Then some water dispersed and turned into a glistening fish.

"Oooo! What's that?!" Luffy asked excitedly.

"His name is Jun'ichi. And he's a water sprite. Magical water entities that dwell in any large mass of pure, clean water," Prilla explained. The little fish started to cuddle in the crook of her neck, causing her to giggle. "Hey! *Laughs* That tickles!"

Usopp just sighed in relief, while rubbing his head. "Good to know. But it would be nice if you'd explain some things to us sooner Prilla. That way we can avoid any misunderstandings in the future," he informed her.

Prilla paused her fun with the little sprite, and turned to Usopp.

"If I did that, then how will you get 'first hand experience' with magic creatures?"

With that statement said, Usopp's jaw dropped and Luffy started to snicker.

"This place gets better and better," he mused.

"I know how to make it even more better~," Prilla sang. She took her bag off her shoulders and pulled out a small jar of what looked like candy.

Usopp shook out of his stupor and stared at them.

"What are those?" he asked.

"Candy pearls. With a spell of my own making," Prilla bragged.

"Ooo, what kind of spell? Is it gonna make our day even more fun?" Luffy asked with a smile on his face.

Prilla nodded, smiling back at him. "Yep! Just eat one pearl while you're in the water, and you'll be in a barrier of air that surrounds your entire form. That way, you can breath under water and do whatever you want in any lakes, ponds, and even oceans!"

The boys' eyes began to sparkle. "Really?!"

"Yep, you wanna try~?"

"Yeah!" they shouted eagerly.

She gave them each one, then they waded into the shallow water and stopped when they got near the deep end.

"Okay, let me go first to show you guys how it's done. Jun'ichi will tell you when to go in next, okay?"

They nodded to her. Then Prilla jumped right in while popping the pearl into her mouth. Luffy and Usopp shielded their faces from the splash.

"This is probably a dream come true to you, isn't Luffy?" Usopp asked his overly excited, straw hat friend.

"You bet! I don't have to worry about drowning any more!"

After that claim, a thought popped into the sniper's head. "That is, of course, if you can swim while the spell is still active. And Prilla didn't say how long it lasts," Usopp pointed out.

That made a shadow cast over the poor boy.

"Couldn't you've waited to be a buzz kill until after we got in?"

Usopp sweat-dropped. "Sorry."

Soon Jun'ichi made a odd chirping sound, catching the attention of the two.

"I guess that's the 'Okay' signal?" Usopp thought out loud.

"Alright! Let's go!" Luffy wasted no time at all with his jump. He popped his pearl into his mouth before he hit the water.

As soon as he was under, Luffy couldn't believe his eyes. There he was, floating under water; seeing all sorts of wonder around him. Swaying fronds of brightly colored underwater plants danced with the lake's gentle currents. Sparkling fishes of all shapes and sizes swam in and out of the rays of sunshine beaming through the clear waters, making their scales glint off iridescent rainbows. Streams of bubbles rose up from the floor of the lake, which was covered by a carpet of green grasses and turquoise moss with patches of pure white stones that looked like pearls glistening below Luffy's feet.

"Like what you see?" he heard Prilla's voice. Luffy turned around to see her floating beside him with a bright smile on her face.

"Heck Yeah! This is amazing!" He made a swimming attempt, and succeeded. "I can even-!" He was cut off when they heard Usopp join them. Usopp opened his eyes and looked around. He looked at his arm and saw a thin layer of air, which was all over his body.

"Amazing!"

"Right?!"

The two snickered like idiots. Then Usopp noticed something.

"Wait a minute." Usopp looked and his eyes popped out at seeing Luffy floating with him. The said man just grinned at him. "Luffy! You're actually floating!"

"That's not all, check this out!" Luffy then started to swim like a frog around Usopp. Then he did a barrel roll in front of him too.

"You can swim too?!" Usopp shrieked, eyes bulging out. That caused the little girl to tilt her head.

"Couldn't he swim before?"

They stopped their excitement and looked at her.

"Naw, I couldn't swim at all cause of the Devil fruit I ate when I was little," Luffy answered her.

"Devil fruit? That's the weird energy I was sensing from you? I thought you were just born with some kind of weird natural power."

Luffy shook his head. "Nope. It's a devil fruit power." He tried to stretch his cheek to emphasize his point, but he couldn't. "Okay, that's weird. I can usually stretch some part of myself to show people. Why can't I now?" he asked, rubbing his now sore cheek.

Then a thought came to Usopp. "Would it be because of the magic?"

Prilla nodded her head. "Mhm, that's right. You see, the powers between the fair folk's magic and the sea devils' somewhat powerful fruit completely counteract each other. Meaning that they don't exactly mix."

"How come?" the boys asked. All three where now sitting at the bottom of the lake, as Prilla began to explain.

"Well, it's like this. Fairy magic, or at least magic in general, cancels out the powers of a devil fruit user. The reason for that is because devil fruits come from the sea devils, sea gods or powers from gods in general that humans believe in now a days. They are all under the category of 'natural' beliefs. Where as magic, fairies, and other mythical beings are under 'supernatural' beliefs."

"I think I get it." Prilla and Luffy looked at Usopp, who was contemplating Prilla's explanation while bending his nose up a little. "The reason devil fruit powers can't work against magic is because magic defies reality," he assumed.

"I don't get," said Luffy.

Usopp sighed. "Of course you don't." He looked at Luffy and explained. "Devils and Gods fall under religious beliefs. Or as Prilla described it, 'Natural'. Meaning just simple and ordinary. And devil fruits only give their users the powers of things that are natural everyday materials. Like your gum-gum fruit Luffy. It gave you the power that makes your entire body rubber. And since rubber is a normal material, it makes sense that magic would cancel it out."

The straw hat was able to understand some of it.

"Okay, but why only magic?"

"Because magic defies all of reality, Luffy. Meaning it allows you to do the impossible stuff that can't really be explained. Like... growing a seed in the palm of your hand without any water and soil, or turning water into a completely different liquid, or controlling the light of the sun and moon."

"Or creating portals that take you to a completely different area of the world?" Prilla brought up.

"Exactly," Usopp confirmed. Then he looked back at her, with a solemn face. "Don't tell me you can do that too?" he questioned her.

Luffy became skittish from were he sat, barely containing his excitement as he waited for her answer.

"Not exactly. I can use portals to travel to places I've already been to. If you ask me to take you to say... the island that has the 'One Piece?' No can do, since I don't know where or what island it's on. Nor have I ever been on it," she told them.

Luffy just laughed. "That's alright. I'd rather find the 'One Piece' by sailing to it than going to it directly. You won't get any fun out of it like that," he reasoned.

Prilla was surprised by Luffy's response, so was Usopp.

"That was actually a pretty good explanation," he looked at Luffy oddly. "You sure you're still that same moron that just likes food?"

The straw hat just laughed. Prilla joined in.

"Anyway, let's enjoy our time down here while we have it. The spell only lasts about an hour. And I think we used about five minutes of it," she suggested. The boys nodded and they all started their fun break time. Little did they know, another group was coming their way.

 **…..**

Out in the middle of the 'Clear Forest Marshes', Lia, Zoro and Nami paused to catch their breath.

"You sure...that this is the way...they came?" Nami huffed.

Lia, who was staring out in the distance at the trail, answered, "Yes, I'm sure. After living on this island for so long, I practically know every trail, path, and even the land marks that are on this isle."

Zoro glanced at her. "How have you not gone stir-crazy from boredom?" he asked.

Lia comically deflated with a sweat-drop on her head. "Trust me, you have no idea how many times I've asked myself that same question."

The other two sweat-dropped too. Nami took a chance to look at her surroundings.

"Wow," she breathed, taking in the magnificent scenery before her. "Your parents really know how make an exotic island." Lia glanced at her, then smiled as she to began to admire the area.

"Yeah, well, that's to be expected from us fairies. I guess you can say we're really into nature," Lia exclaimed.

"No harm in that. Most people look for this kind of peacefulness," Zoro said, standing next to her. He couldn't help himself, as he got closer to her, sneaking a look at her and smiling.

Nami was able to catch that and a sly grin spread across her face as an idea popped in her head.

"Sooo~, how exactly did you two meet?" she teasingly asked. Color spread across the swordsman's face, and he gnashed his teeth at the orange haired woman.

 _'Don't you start!'_ he scowled at her in his head.

Lia on the other hand said, "Oh, my brother and I were training on the same island where the dojo Zoro was taught at was as well," she simply answered.

"Ah~! So you two have known each other for a while then~?" said the woman, who continued her plot to tease the furious swordsman.

Lia was still oblivious to the whole thing. She rubbed the back of her head and chuckled nervously. "Actually we were only with one another for half a year, at least. Thaylim and I left to a different island when the winter season began. Zoro and I, we were only kids at that time."

Nami then gave Lia a questioning look. "How old were you then?"

"Nine and a half."

"And when did you start living here?"

Lia's smile turned into a frown. "Me and my brother, Thaylim, we both started to live here a few months after we left Zoro's island. But we were still allowed to travel off the island to help neighboring Fae islands that have strong colonies. Of course, that stopped when Thaylim passed on."

Nami felt bad now. She didn't want to upset Lia or bring her bother into her questioning. Then something else came into her thoughts.

 _'Hope this will change the subject,'_ Nami thought to herself before she said, "You said that you and your sister have lived here for a while. That sounds like longer than a year," Nami commented.

Lia sighed. "Figured someone would get curious about that. Alright, how do I explain this one?" Lia took a moment to think. "Alright, this may seem like a weird question but, how old do I appear to you?" Both Nami and Zoro weren't expecting that.

"Umm? Nineteen at least?" guessed the navigator.

"Okay, now times that by a hundred," the fairy told her. Nami took a minute to think, then her jaw hit the ground.

"Are you saying you're a thousand and nine hundred years old?!" she asked flabbergasted.

"In Fairy terms," Lia quickly corrected her.

"Sooo? If you were human then you'd really be nineteen. But as a fairy, you're at least a thousand?" Zoro summarized.

"In a matter of speaking, yes."

"But, how do you still look the way you are?" Nami asked, recovering from her shock.

"Well you see, the life span of a fairy or any citizen of the Fae are extended by an extra hundred years. Not only that, but the magic that surrounds our home islands, such as Avalon, stops time," Lia explained to them.

"Stops time?" They tilted their heads.

"Okay, let me explain it like this. You know how I told you that Gold Roger spent his final time in Avalon a year before his execution?" she asked.

"Now that you mention it, you did say that he went on about a dozen adventures. And don't adventures take time?" Zoro inquired.

"As I've said, it's because time completely stops in Avalon and some other Fae islands. Let me give you an example; say you came to a Fae Island in a specific time, on a specific day and year. You spend maybe what would seem like days on said island, or months, or even years. But as you leave the island, you find that you return to the exact day you came to it."

Zoro and Nami were bewildered by this.

"So...Fairies or magical beings in general, have their own time zone? In a way?" Nami pondered.

"If that perspective makes it easier for you to understand, then yeah," Lia answered.

"And if we spend, say twenty years on your islands, we'd come back to the outside world to same time we left like nothing ever happened?" Zoro brought up.

"Exactly," Lia confirmed.

"Does that mean Fairies are immortal?"

Lia looked at Nami when she said that question and shook her head. "Not exactly. You know how humans start to seem older at an certain age?" They nodded to her. "Well it's the same with us too, only you'd still have multiply that by a hundred."

"Meaning you can still die of old age, only it will take longer," Zoro assumed.

"Right. Also we can still be killed as well. We can heal from severe cuts, burns, and illnesses. But not from any damage in our lungs, heart, or head."

Nami thought long and hard over the new info she had heard. "So you're alright with minor physical damage, but not major. And critical illnesses and diseases can't harm you either?"

"In a way, yes. But we still have illnesses and diseases that only affect us and not humans."

"Meaning 'human' illnesses and diseases can't do you any harm?"

"Correct."

"And physical bows to the head or chest don't do you any good either."

"Same with humans, but there is something that humans have that can prevent fairies or other magical beings from our rapid healing. And keep us from using magic," Lia indulged.

"What's that?" asked Nami.

"Iron," Lia stated.

"Iron?" "Just Iron?" Nami and Zoro questioned.

"Yes. The minerals in iron have the means to harm us. When closely exposed to it, we're physically and mentally weakened. We won't have the strength to move or use our magic. If cut or shot with it, our wounds would take just as long to heal as an average flesh wound to a human. When exposed to it for too long, we start to become ill. So ill that we would get to the point where our lives would hang by a thread," Lia said, weighing down every word.

The two pirates couldn't help but feel mournful towards Lia and all of her kind.

"Is that what you meant by 'if you went to see the world, you had to face the dangers it threw at you'?" Zoro asked, referring to the talk they had when they were kids.

Lia nodded her head.

"That must be stressful to deal with," Nami quietly said.

"Yes, but we can handle it now," Lia stated in a more lightened tone. After that conversation, the three continued their mission to find the other three. As they were coming around the marshes, Nami cried out "Ahh!" as her foot slipped and she fell into the water's edge. Lia and Zoro came down to help her.

"You alright Nami?" Lia asked concerned.

"Yeah, just slipped."

Zoro offered a hand and helped her up. When Nami stood up, she winced. Looking down, they saw a nice sized scrapped up bruise on her ankle.

"Well that's nice." Nami sassed in a sarcastic tone. Lia hummed, looking around the area for something that could help. Then she spotted something that was just what she needed.

"Zoro, you see that moss growing on that rock over there?"

Zoro looked to where she was pointing at, and saw the ice-blue colored moss. "Yeah."

"Could you go over there and collect some please?" she asked nicely, which was refreshing to him.

"Sure thing," he replied simply. He waded through the water to the rock.

"Nami, just sit down here while I dry you up and clean that for you," Lia told the woman. Nami did just that. As she sat there, she saw Lia's palms glow and soon the water that had drenched her started to evaporate off of her, making her as dry as she was before.

While Lia used that water to started cleaning Nami's scrape, Zoro came back with a hand full of moss.

"You sure this is moss and not an ice-pack? 'Cause it feels too cool, and it's been in the sun the whole time," he exclaimed.

Lia hummed. "Yep, it's called 'Ice-moss'. That stuff works great as a pain relief for any kind of minor injuries. It only grows in cool moist areas like this place," she explained to him.

Lia took the moss from him and placed it on Nami's ankle.

"Ooo, that feels nice. It's like the pain was never there," she happily exclaimed. Lia chuckled a bit. She placed it on the bruise, then pulled out a roll of bandages and quickly wrapped up the woman's ankle.

"There. Now as long as you stay off that foot and leave it alone for the next half hour, it'll be fine in no time," Lia told Nami.

Nami raised her foot and looked at her ankle.

"Thanks Lia," she smiled. Then the navigator thought of some thing. "Wait, how am I suppose to go any where with out using my foot?"

"Way ahead of you there." After saying that, Lia put her index finger and thumb to her mouth and whistled. All was quiet for a moment, until near by bushes started to shake and out came Sakura, running straight towards them. She stopped herself next to the group. "Perfect timing as always Sakura," Lia praised. The dragon huffed in pride.

Lia turned to Nami. "Nami, are you alright with riding on Sakura? Until your ankle is all healed that is," she inquired. The navigator stared at the woman with wide eyes, then turned them towards the dragon. Sakura looked liked she didn't mind carrying her for a bit. Then she turned back to Lia, her eyes sparkling in joy.

"Can I really?!"

Lia giggled. "Of course. Sakura doesn't mind at all. She's always willing to help," she stated while stroking her friend's head.

Nami wasted no time getting up, without putting weight on her foot. She hopped onto the dragon's back and they all got out of the water's edge.

"Lia, how far are we from reaching the others?" Zoro asked.

Lia brought her hand to her chin and hummed. After thinking for a bit, she turned to him.

"I'd say they're at the Lake of Tranquil Falls by now. And probably taking a break there too," she assumed. "And that's not far from Echo Canyon," she conveyed tensely.

"And you said devil fruit powers are rendered null there right? Meaning Luffy won't have any way to protect them," Zoro stated.

"Then we'd better hurry if we want to stop him from doing something reckless," Nami concurred.

Zoro sweat-dropped. "Since when is he not reckless?" he retorted his question to her.

Nami did the same. "Good point, now we really need to hurry."

With that said, they hastened their pace.

 **…**

Back with Prilla, Luffy, and Usopp; they were already done with their break and were back on their trail. Luffy was still grinning.

"Heheheheheh. Man, that was the best thing I've done in my life! Hey Prilla!" he called out to the girl.

"Yeah?"

"Could we do that again next time? Only I want to try it in the ocean!" he said out loud with a proud smile.

Prilla smiled back. "Sure, but please know that I don't have an endless supply of candy pearls. It takes time for me to make them and do the spell," she told him. Then, Usopp noticed that they were passing a hill side and entering into a canyon like trail.

"Hey Prilla, is this the canyon you mentioned that's on the map?" he asked.

The little girl hummed in thought, then pulled out the map to take a look.

"Yep, we just entered 'Echo Canyon'. And after that will be 'Serene Valley' which is the most beautiful field of flowers you'll ever lay eyes on," Prilla proclaimed. The boys were in awe.

"And that's where the treasure is right?!" Luffy asked eagerly.

"Hmhm." Prilla nodded to him with a hum.

As they kept walking, Usopp was starting to get a little antsy.

"Um Prilla, is there anything major we need to be aware of on this trail?" he asked. Suddenly he jumped when he heard Luffy cry out.

"Hey guys! Check out this plant! It smells like salt!" he yelled as he pointed at light green leafy plant.

"Oh nice Luffy. You found 'Sky leaf'," Prilla stated, as she and Usopp walked up to him.

That made both men question in unison, "Sky leaf?"

"Is that like an herb or something?" Usopp guessed. Prilla walked up to the plants and plucked one.

"Yep. Well, it's a herb for pigs and dragons. And other creatures that get a bad case of 'curly tail'," she explained.

"What's 'curly tail'?" Luffy asked.

"It's an illness that causes an animal's tail to curl up and suddenly sway to and fro violently. Along with having a terrible stomach ace. It used to be mainly pigs that got but then years ago someone discovered it happens to dragons as well."

The boy's looked at each other, intrigued by the new info. Then Usopp asked Prilla, "Has it ever happened to Sakura?"

"Once. Of course she wasn't too thrilled about it when my brothers made fun of her by saying she had a 'pig tail'. Speaking of which, never irk Sakura. Last time she was irked ... let's just say someone ended up extra crispy."

Luffy laughed, while Usopp paled.

"Good to know," he whimpered. As the three continued, they walked along a cliff side. Luffy stopped for a second, and thought of something fun to do. He sucked in a big breath of air, then yelled,

" **I'M GONNA BE KING OF THE PIRATES!** "

Prilla and Usopp startled to a stop when he did that. Soon they heard the canyon echoing back.

" _I'M GONNA BE KING OF THE PIRATES! I'M GONNA BE KING OF THE PIRATES! I'M GONNA BE KING OF THE PIRATES! I'M GONNA BE KING OF THE PIRATES!_ " it repeated.

Usopp placed his hands on his waist and sighed, "Just couldn't help yourself, could you?"

Luffy just went to a hysteric fit of giggles. "Nope!" he said.

Prilla just stared at him, slightly flabbergasted. "Luffy."

He turned to her. "Yeah?"

"Did you really mean what you just said a moment ago? Or were you thinking you were being funny there?" she asked sternly, giving him a hard stare.

Luffy was taken back for a second, then stared back at her just as hard, and answered her seriously, "I meant every word Prilla, with all my power. And I understand why your asking." Prilla tilted her head to him. "Since Gold Roger was really good friends with your parents and your kingdom, and his execution made a big impact on them. You want the next king to be like him in a way. Or at least be someone who has the same spirit he did."

The young fairy princess was astonished by Luffy's words. Even though she had just learned of his goal, she could no doubt see the potential he had to make it real. Luffy was the perfect and ideal candidate to become the next pirate king. However...

"Luffy, if you truly plan on being the next king of the pirates, then I should warn you that there will be trials you'll have to go through to prove that you're eligible for that role. One of them is facing my daddy on a 'one on one duel'," Prilla informed him in all seriousness. Usopp paled while his mouth gaped like a fish out of water.

"A... A duel? W... With _the_ fairy king?" he quivered.

Luffy, being his ever so care-free self, just laughed. "Sounds like fun!"

"How can you laugh after hearing that?! You're gonna be facing King Oberon! The most powerful being known to man! Besides God and the devil of course," Usopp spouted at Luffy, calmly adding the last statement.

"Why not? It's a fight between kings. How can I not pass that up?" Luffy replied happily. This made Usopp comically fall to the ground, with water falls of tears streaming down his face. Prilla laughed with the straw hat.

"Something tells me that hanging out with you guys is going to be fun," she beamed.

"And dangerous," Usopp added begrudgingly under his breath.

Little did they realize, he was right.

 ** _To Be Continued...….._**

 _ ** **A/N****_

 ** _ **Hey! Sorry for the wait, a lot of stuff has been going on in the real life for me. I hope you guys can for give me for making you wait. More chapters will be coming soon, so just hang tight for them. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, please comment your thoughts. See ya in the next chapter!**_**


	7. Voyage 5

It was midday when Lia, Zoro, Nami and Sakura reached the lake of Tranquil Falls. Nami couldn't help but stare in awe at the scenery.

"Wow, it's like the further we go into the Isle, the more beautiful it gets," she breathed.

Lia smiled. "It's like I said before Nami, The Fair Folk have a thing for nature." Soon she noticed some foot prints in the mud near the water's edge.

"Hang tight for a sec guys," she told the group as she ran up to the lake. Zoro and Nami looked at each other. When Lia came up to the water's edge, water burst from the lake, and Jun'ichi's head popped out.

"What the heck is that!?" the two screamed. Nami slipped off of Sakura and Zoro reached for one of his swords.

"Relax, Jun'ichi's just a friendly water sprite," Lia said calmly to them. She turned back to the fish. "Jun'ichi, have you seen a group come by here? And would you happen to know where they went?" she asked. Jun'ichi nodded, then pointed to the hills with his fin. Lia looked, then frowned. "Oh no," she breathed, walking back to the group with a worried expression.

"So what's up?" Zoro asked.

"They just left no more than twenty minutes ago. If my hunch is correct, they'll reach the canyon's stone bridge in five," Lia informed him. This made the other two flinch with worry.

"Then let's get moving!" he said. Lia nodded and suddenly unfurled her wings from her back.

Nami stared at her in awe, while Zoro was at a loss for words. However, he did not stop the blush from showing on his cheeks. Lia stared back at them, and lifted a brow.

"Why are you guys just standing there gawking? I thought we needed to go? Like now?" she said, which brought them out of their stupor, and they nodded.

"You're right." "We need to go." They uttered.

Lia sighed. "I get that this is your first time seeing my wings. But you two can admire them later, alright?" They nodded their heads, saying they agreed. With that, they were off, hoping that it wasn't too late.

Deep in Echo Canyon, Prilla, Luffy, and Usopp were peacefully walking along the trail to reach the next location on the map. Though Usopp was having a tough time keeping up with the other two, since he was almost out of breath.

"Can...we...take, *gasps some air* a breather!" He managed a huff as he leaned on his knees to catch his breath. Luffy and Prilla stopped and looked at him.

Luffy turned to Prilla and asked, "What do you say Prilla?" The little girl took out the map and examined it, and looked up to the sky.

"Hmmm, seems the right time to have break. Yeah, let's stop here and take it easy."

Usopp immediately dropped his bag and comically fell to the ground on his back, and sighed. "Thank you!" he announced.

Soon the three of them heard the echo of Usopp's relief come right back at them. Luffy laughed as he crossed his legs and sat down.

"Man, I'm loving this island more and more by the minute!" he proudly proclaimed. Prilla giggled with him. Usopp however gave him an irked look.

"Yeah, for you. But to me it feels like this here canyon is mocking me," he grumbled.

"Then don't pay attention to the echos. Just listen to the melodies," Prilla suggested to him. Luffy and Usopp looked at each other, then to her with their heads tilted to the side.

"Melodies?" they both questioned.

Prilla nodded her head. "Hmhm, not only does the canyon echo what you say, it can also echo melodies or songs that other fairies have played. No matter how far away they were or when they played them." She stopped and turned her head to a faint tune.

Then she brought a finger to her lips. "Shh, listen," she told them. The boys held their heads up so they could hear what she was talking about. Soon the faint tune became loud enough for all three of them to hear a beautiful melody.

As the melody played, they suddenly heard an unknown female voice sing along to it. All three of them closed their eyes as they listened to the peaceful tune. Prilla had her fingers play along with the piano sound and swayed. Usopp used his fingers to make himself act like a conductor and conduct the song. Luffy just leaned forward on his hands and enjoyed the music.

Pretty soon, the music started to fade and came to an end. The group relaxed as they all let out a blissful sigh.

"*Sigh* I could listen to something like that all day," Usopp exclaimed serenely, leaning on his pack.

"Yeah," Luffy breathed in agreement. Then something dawned on him. "Hey, Prilla?"

"Yes?"

"Yesterday, me and Zoro heard Lia sing back at the falls. Can she also sing like that?" he asked.

Prilla smiled and nodded her head, confirming his hypothesis. "Yep, Li takes a lot after Mommy. Only when it comes to singing and beauty. And speaking of my mommy, she was the one who sung the melody we just heard," she brought up to them. The boys were in awe.

"Really?!" said Luffy with starry eyes. "Did she know that the canyon would replay her song?" he asked.

"Of course! She's the one who did the spell in the first place," she said. That put Luffy in awe again.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Usopp asked sarcastically. Prilla and Luffy just giggled as they all got up and continued on their journey. As they walked, they came around a corner and saw a deep ravine in front of them with a bridge across it that didn't look quite safe.

It looked like it was crumbling apart. Usopp pointed that out quickly.

"Uh guys, I'm not so sure about this bridge," he said anxiously.

"Really? Looks fine to me," Luffy simply said, letting his oblivious mind show again. Usopp deflated by leaning on the bag.

"Hey Prilla, could you maybe fly us across the ravine? Instead of us crossing this 'death trap'?"

Prilla shook her head. "Sorry Usopp, I can't."

"Why not?" he asked.

"'Cause living at the bottom of the ravine is a Wyvern." The boys looked at her, then tilted their heads in confusion.

"What's a Why-vern?" Luffy asked, saying the name wrong.

" _Wyvern,_ " she corrected. "It's a giant flying lizard that's closely related to a dragon. But the big difference is their grand flying and bone crushing jaws and claws. That's pretty much all they do whereas dragon have much more abilities," Prilla explained.

Usopp started to tremble. "B-B-Bone c-crushing?!"

Luffy just laughed. "Sounds fun!"

Usopp collapsed over his stupidity. Then got right up next to him and shouted, "Okay, you are way too care free for your own good! You know that?!" However Luffy just ignored him and walked on right up to the bridge. He looked at it, then at the other side.

He turned to Prilla and asked, "Hey Prilla, what's on the other side once we cross?"

The little fairy pulled out the map. "Hmm, according to the map, the other side should have the valley of flowers where the cheery tree dwells."

"And near the tree is the treasure, right?" Usopp guessed. Prilla nodded.

"Mhm, we're that much close to finding it," she proclaimed

Luffy cheered "Alright! Lets go!" and ran off onto the bridge.

"Wait Luffy! We don't know if it's safe!" Usopp shouted.

''I'll get him," Prilla assured him as she ran to catch up to Luffy. Usopp, not wanting to be left behind, followed after her. Suddenly, parts of the bridge began to crumble, then all three stopped at the sound of something cracking.

"That didn't sound good," Usopp whimpered. Then, all at once, a piece of the bridge crumbled to bits right between Usopp and the two in front of him.

"Usopp! Get back!" As soon as Prilla said that, the rest of his bridge crumbled towards him.

"GAaaaaaa!" he screamed and he ran back, with the breaking bridge following close behind.

Usopp tripped and landed safely on the other side. The bridge on his side, however, was completely gone. All that was left was the half that Luffy and Prilla were on.

"Usopp! Are you okay!?" Luffy shouted. Usopp hastily got up and looked around him. Seeing that he was safe, he got on his feet and burst in to a proud fit of laughter.

"HA, HA, HA, HA! Are you kidding!? Nothing, not even a crumbling bridge, can frighten the Great Usopp!" he proclaimed.

 _'Yeah? You were just screaming your head off a second ago,'_ Prilla muttered in her mind.

"Hey Prilla," Luffy said, catching the girl's attention. "You think you could fly over and bring Usopp to the other side?" he asked.

Prilla shook her head. "Not with that Wyvern that's down there. If I even try to fly across, that thing will come after me like an owl going after a bat."

"I thought creatures and fairies were friends?" Luffy assumed.

Prilla sweat dropped and awkwardly explained. "Not exactly. You see Wyverns are very proud flyers. They prefer to be the only things in the air. They don't mind ordinary birds; but anything bigger than that? Let's just say they get easily jealous if some other flying creature is in their territory. And things don't end well for the other party."

"That's stupid," Luffy just plainly thought out loud.

"Not everything in life is so simple, Luffy," Prilla told him. Suddenly, their half of the bridge began to crumble again.

"Guys! Get to the other side, quick!" Usopp shouted at them. But as the two turned to do so, a large crack went straight across their path. They saw that if they took another step, that slab of the bridge would fall, dragging them along with it.

Luffy turned back to his friend. "We can't! The part we're on is about to break!"

"Well then stretch your arm out! Shouldn't that help?!" Usopp suggested.

"Oh yeah!" Luffy realized. But when he try to do that, he ended up throwing his arm out painfully. "Ow, why can't I stretch out?"

Prilla sweat dropped again. "I think I know." Luffy turned to her questionably. "The entire canyon is full of my parents' magic. Remember when I said that 'Devil fruit powers' are rendered useless when exposed to fairy magic? Well this is one of those cases," she said dully.

"That's something you should tell us _before_ some thing like this happens, Prilla," Usopp said to her grudgingly.

Prilla puffed out her cheeks with a glare. "Hey! Don't go blaming me for this! If Luffy had just waited, I could have used my magic to make the bridge more sturdy and safe!" she scorned him.

Usopp sweat dropped and rubbed his head. "You have a point there." The crack on the slab broke more and shifted it's weight, making Luffy and Prilla wobble a bit, and they began to worry more.

Prilla turned to the long nosed boy. "Usopp! Run back as quickly as you can and get Lia!"

"On it!" With that, he was off, leaving a cloud of dust.

"Wow, he's fast," Prilla said, slightly amazed.

"Yep." Luffy smiled.

 **...**

Usopp ran back through the canyon as fast as he could, being very mindful of the curves along the way.

 _'I gotta hurry! That slab could collapse beneath them at any minute!'_ he said in his head, fearing the worst for his friends. As he passed the cliff that was singing a new melody, he immediately ran into something, or actually someone, and fell to the ground with a thud. So did the other person.

"Ow, that hurt," Usopp groaned.

"Damn it, watch where your going!" complained a very familiar voice.

"Zoro?" Usopp questioned, getting up. He looked and he saw that he was right. There on the ground, rubbing his head, was the swordsman.

"Geez, do you close your eyes when your in a hurry?" he retorted.

"Zoro what's wrong? Are you alright?" asked the very person Usopp was looking for.

"Lia is that you?" he asked. She, the dragon riding navigator Nami, and Sakura came around the bend. Nami looked at the sharpshooter.

"Let me guess, you guys had trouble at a certain bridge?" she bluntly deduced.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Usopp asked.

Lia answered that for Nami. "Because I've been on this trail many times before and I know that the bridge has been worn out enough by the salty air that it can no longer support anyone that tries to cross it."

"And with the place flowing with magic, Luffy can't use his devil fruit to help," Zoro added, getting up.

"Where are Luffy and Prilla?" Nami asked.

That made Usopp remember in shock. "Crap! We need to hurry! Those two are stuck on a part of the bridge that's about to collapse any minute!"

"Why can't Prilla fly them out of there?!" Zoro yelled.

"She can't with that Wyvern there too," Lia brought up.

"Wyvern?" both navigator and swordsman questioned.

"No time, let's go!" Usopp proclaimed. And the group ran off, hoping that they would make it in time.

 **...**

Back on the bridge, Luffy and Prilla just stood there, making as little movement as possible.

"Soooo, Prilla."

"Yeah?"

"I over heard Lia saying you guys had a brother. What was he like?" Luffy asked. Prilla brought her head down and gave off a soft smile.

"Thaylim was a great man, and a great brother for that matter. He always had a way of making you smile and lighting up hope in your heart. You could never be in a bad mood around him," she explained, smiling at the sky.

"Yeah?" Luffy said, getting into the story already.

"Yeah, he also had a great sense of humor. He always knew a way to make me and Terence laugh. Also no matter what battle or fight he was in, Thaylim never gave up. He would always stand tall and proud; protecting what he cared for and placing others before himself. And whenever my dad tested him, he would never hold back. He gave all of his fights his 100%."

Luffy started to get excited. "Awesome! I would have loved to have met him!" he said.

Prilla smiled at him. "Same with Thaylim about you. You two would have gotten along great," she told him.

"Hey, if you don't mind me asking, but how did your bother die? From the way you say it, there's no way he could of lost a fight," Luffy assumed.

Prilla suddenly went pale, and flashes from a horrible memory of a horrifying creature went through her head. "Luffy, please understand that there are other beings out there in the world that are stronger and more powerful than others. Whether they be good," she shuttered at the last word and darkly said, "Or down right evil."

When Luffy saw this, he didn't press the matter any further. All of a sudden, their slab shifted lower.

"Whoa!" They both made their balance sturdier.

"Let's hope Usopp gets to Li soon and fast!" Prilla worried.

Then, the two heard, "Luffy!" "Prilla!" The pair looked and found just the people they had wanted to see.

Both Luffy and Prilla smiled. Well, Luffy more then the little girl.

"Alright! You guys made it just in time!" he cheered, jumping up and down. However, his cheering made his and Prilla's situation worse.

Lia noticed this and called out, "Luffy! Stop moving! Your gonna make the slab break even-" Before she could finish, the slab broke once more, making Luffy cease his happy jaunt.

"Uh oh," he pipped.

"YOU IDIOT!" yelled his crew. And with that, the slab completely broke and down went Luffy and Prilla.

" **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!** " the two screamed as they fell.

"Luffy! Prilla!" shouted the crew. Out of the corner of their eyes, Lia dove down with the falling pair.

"Lia! What are you doing!?" yelled Usopp.

"What's it look like?!" she yelled back. Lia reached out and grabbed Luffy. "Prilla! Unfurl your wings!"

"But what about-?" The young fairy girl was interrupted before she could finish her question.

"I'll deal with him, just do it!" Lia shouted.

And so both girls revealed their wings and stopped in mid air, just a few feet away from the river below them. Luffy let out a relived sigh.

"Whew, that was a close one." He turned his head to look at the two girls. "Whoa!" He was amazed by Lia's wings. "Your wings look awesome Lia!" he said with stars in his eyes.

Lia just smiled. "Thanks," she said. As they flew towards the cape, all three heard a low growling sound.

"Oh." "Crud." Lia and Prilla said in dread.

"What's the hold up guys?!" Nami called down to them from up top.

"We now have a new problem on our hands," Lia exclaimed.

"What could be worse than Luffy almost falling to his death?" Zoro vented.

"Wait." Nami and Zoro turned towards Usopp, who was pale with terror. "I think I might know what Lia's taking about," he sniveled in fear.

"Then what-?" Before Zoro could say more, a loud roar bellowed out from where the girls and Luffy were.

"Uh, what was that?" Nami asked dreadfully.

"The new problem," Usopp sadly answered her.

"Hey, Prilla?"

"Yes, Luffy?"

"It that the Wyvern you were taking about earlier?" he asked, pointing to a cave that was right next to them. The girls looked to where he was pointing, and there stood a white bulky, scaly, scary lizard. It had a maw filled with big jagged teeth, sharp claws at the ends of it's feet, and wings where the arms should be.

The giant lizard roared at them, which echoed through out the ravine.

"Guys! Hurry up and get out of there!" Nami shouted at them. Lia grabbed onto Prilla's arm and flew straight up to the cape. Once they made it up, Lia threw both Luffy and Prilla to the others.

"Lia! What are you doing?!" Zoro yelled.

"Distracting him as long as I can!" she yelled back.

When she took to the sky, the Wyvern followed. The beast freaked out most of the group,

"Holy Crap! That thing's HUGE!" Usopp cried out.

"How exactly is Lia suppose to out fly that?!" Nami boldly exclaimed.

Luffy, however, seemed to be enjoying the spectacle. "Come on Lia! You can do it!" he encouraged. That earned him a whack on the head and a face full of dirt.

"WOULD YOU JUST SHUT UP?!" spouted his two crew mates.

Zoro, on the other hand, was too absorbed in the scene he was watching. Lia was dodging the Wyvern's attacks with ease, using it's weight and size against it. She was practically playing with it, and even from the ground, he could see the gleam in her eyes. A gleam he knew all to well; it showed that she knew that everything that was going down was part of her strategy to win.

Then, Lia suddenly dove straight down to the ground, with the giant lizard hot on her tail.

"What is she doing?!" "Pull up Lia! Pull up!" Nami and Usopp hollered.

"Don't worry. She knows what she's doing," Prilla assured them. Before the two could say anything back, Lia did a sharp right angle turn that put her only a foot away from the ground.

The Wyvern, however, wasn't so skilled. It immediately crashed and buried itself into the earth. Lia stopped flying and simply landed near the group. Everyone, except Luffy and Prilla, were dumbfounded.

"Okay...That happened," Nami broke the silence.

"Turns out we were worried for nothing," Usopp mumbled, still staring at the woman in disbelieve.

"Figured she had it covered, but wasn't expecting that," Zoro said.

"That, was... SO COOOOOOL!" Luffy cheered, flaying his arms like a fool.

"Moron," his crew scowled.

"It's not over yet," Prilla told them. Before they could ask her what she meant by that, they felt the ground shake and suddenly the Wyvern shot out from the ground.

The crew flinched and screamed in terror as the beast charged at Lia.

"Run!- no, Fly Lia! Fly!" Usopp shouted to her, but she just stood there in her place and waited for the lizard to come at her.

"What is she doing?!" Nami screeched.

Zoro started to run over to Lia to save her, but then stopped at a sight that really put him off guard. The second the Wyvern was within arm's reach of Lia, she swung her arm out and slapped the beast hard, sending him flying into a rock.

 _(this was the closes pic I could find to match. Please ignore the fact that is Nami and Zoro in that scene)_

"Uh? What just happened?" Usopp asked.

"Lia just smacked down a giant lizard," Luffy answered him.

"I get that but..." He couldn't say any more because he was to confused to say any more.

"Just watch and see what happens," Prilla told them. Soon the Wyvern got up and looked at Lia with tears in it's eyes.

"Don't you go giving me that look, Mister! You know better than to go chasing either me or Prilla when we're flying! We have every right to be in the sky as much as you do!" Lia started to lecture. The Straw Hats were really confused now. "Your job is to guard the bridge from outsiders, but let those who are given my permission cross. However, I find you sleeping on the job and allowing Prilla and her friends to fall."

The Wyvern looked away from her and beads of sweat started to come down it's head. Lia kept her arms folded as she stared the lizard down. "Now, you're gonna do something for me if you promise to behave." The Wyvern nodded it's head vigorously, meaning it'll do anything for her forgiveness.

"She's lecturing that thing like it's a kid who got in trouble," Usopp muttered.

"Yeah, I almost feel bad for the lizard," Nami sweat-dropped.

Luffy just laughed. "He, He, He, did you see how she sent that thing flying?! Man that was awesome!" he said gleefully. Everyone just shook their heads.

"You're an idiot," they sighed.

"Alright then." They all turned to Lia, who was walking up to them with the Wyvern trudging behind her, looking a bit ashamed. "Vern here is willing to fly all of us to the other side of the ravine." She turned around and glared at it, making it tremble. "And he'll do it without any complaints."

"Wait." Everyone turned to Prilla. "The other side? You mean your gonna let us find the treasure?!" she asked, excited. Lia smiled and nodded.

"Yep. However, I would've appreciated it if you had told be about your plans before. That way we could've avoided this situation," Lia retorted.

Prilla lowered her head. "Sorry Li."

Lia just sighed and embraced her little sister. "It's okay, just think before you act next time alright?" she asked. Prilla nodded. With that done, Lia turned to the crew.

"Okay!" She clapped her hands. "Who's ready to ride on a Wyvern?"

Luffy wasted no time to shoot his hand into the air and wave it like crazy. "Oh! Me! Me! Me!"

"Uh? Sure, as long as it's safe," Usopp replied.

"Why not?" was all Zoro said as he walked up to the creature. Lia went up to Nami.

"I think your ankle should be good now." She knelt down and unwrapped the orangette's leg. To Nami's bewilderment, her ankle was all healed; it was as if the bruise had never even been there.

"Incredible," she said in awe.

"One of the many talents of Fae plants," Lia bragged.

"Come on! Let's go already!" Luffy shouted. They all got on Vern's back, and took off. There were no words from the Straw Hats as they viewed of the scene below them. Well, except for Luffy.

"Woooohooooo!" he cheered.

Soon the Wyvern landed right where they wanted to be. Luffy was the first to jump off.

"Whoa! That was great!" he bounced in joy. He stopped when he looked at the scenery before him. "Whoooooa!" There in front of the group was the most beautiful valley they had ever seen.

"Wow." "Beautiful." Usopp and Nami breathed. Zoro had no words as he just stared at the landscape.

"Oh wow! The flowers here are so pretty!" Prilla gushed as she ran off to a patch and stared to pick some of the blooms. Zoro looked over to Lia, and saw that she was just smiling at the scene. The swordsman couldn't help but have pink dust his cheeks as the wind blew past them.

Lia's hair fluttered with the wind. She tried tucking it behind her ear as she said, "They are aren't they?" She smiled at her sister. Her eyes shined more in the sunlight.

 _'Yeah well, none of them are as nice looking as you,'_ he thought. Lia turned and found Zoro staring at her.

"Is something the matter Zoro?"

The swordsman flinched. "Uh- Y-Yeah! I-I mean no! W-Why would there be?" he stuttered a bit, hoping she would buy it and not press him. Thankfully, for him, she didn't. She turned her back to him and walked over to her sister.

Zoro huffed in relief. "*Whew* That was close." He swiped off the sweat from his forehead, then scowled to himself. "Coward. I need to find the perfect time when to tell her how I feel," he growled under his breath.

"Want my advice?~" asked a cheery voice behind him. Zoro jumped and found it was Nami who had spoken.

"What do you want woman?" he sneered at her.

Nami just smiled at him. "If you really care for her in that way, then I suggest that you tell her at the right moment that's perfect to you. Sooner rather than later. Or else some other guy will sweep her off her feet," she implied as walked past him.

Zoro just continued to sneer at her. However, in his head, he knew she was right. The group (mainly Usopp, Luffy and Prilla) continued to wander and play in the meadow.

"Alright guys, let's wrap up the treasure hunt real quick so we can head back and have lunch," Lia announced. The boys cheered, as they all started to follow the woman.

After awhile of walking, Luffy noticed that the clouds in the valley were pretty close to the ground. "Hey Lia!"

"Yeah?"

"How come the clouds are so close to the ground?" he asked.

Lia smiled and hummed. "It's because we're pretty much at the top of 'Serene Mount'," she answered.

"We're that high in the mountains? But I didn't noticed any of us climbing at all," Nami pointed out.

"That's mostly because you were riding on Sakura the whole time," Zoro grumbled.

Lia laughed nervously. "Yeah, you hardly notice any thing when your having fun. Am I right Prilla?" she asked her sister, and Prilla nodded to her.

Soon, when the group got to the other side of the valley, there before them was the biggest and tallest cheery tree with ever blooming cheery blossoms.

"Whoa!" "Now that's a Cheery Tree!" "Pretty!" Luffy, Usopp and Prilla exclaimed in awe.

"Hey Pril, you wanna know something?" Lia asked her sister.

"What?" the little girl tilted her head in question cutely.

"This is the same tree where Dad proposed to Mom."

Prilla gaped at her elder sister. "Really?!"

"Yep."

Usopp whistled impressed. "Talk about a perfect place for the perfect moment."

Nami nodded in agreement. "I bet it was so romantic," she swooned, picturing the whole scene in her head.

Zoro rolled his eyes at her, then turned to Lia. "I thought your parents made this Island for you?"

Lia rubbed her head, looking for a good explanation to give him.

"Well actually, this island was here during Avalon's golden age. So waaaaaay before Gold Roger's time. My parents found this place and used it as a 'get away' home; a place to relax and unwind during their _'teen'_ years. During their stays here, let's just say they had their way with their _'Remolding',_ " she quoted that last word with her fingers. "After dad's proposal, then having us, the Isle sort of became a family vacation spot for us."

"Until Gold Roger came around and the promise was made," Zoro figured.

"Yep," she confirmed.

"Hey what's that?" They all turned to Luffy who was pointing at the bottom of the tree. They looked and saw that it was a chest. But not just any chest, a treasure chest.

"TREASURE!" yelled Nami, Usopp, Luffy, and Prilla as they zoomed straight to it.

"And here I thought only Prilla and the boys would get excited. I wasn't expecting Nami to be," Lia said surprised.

Zoro grunted, "Let's just say she has a thing for money and Treasure." Lia looked at him oddly but nodded and didn't say anything else on of the subject.

As soon as they got there, the others were crowding around the chest.

"Lia, you wouldn't happen to have the key to it would you~?" Nami hummed the question to her. Lia playfully rolled her eyes as she pulled out an antique key that was similar to the lock on the chest.

"I hope you're aware that you guys can't have anything in there. What's in that chest are precious to my parents."

Nami began to pout like a child. "I know. I just want to see it," she twiddle her fingers. Lia just laughed as she went up to the chest. Everyone crowded around her while she turned the key. The lock made a *click* sound. The chest was unlocked, and Lia slowly opened it. The crew's eyes widened in amazement from what they saw.

Inside was...

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

 ** _ **(Sorry, I want to do a cliffhanger there. Thought it would get everyone on their toes. Anyway hoped you all enjoyed the chapter, I'll try to be quicker with the next one.^^. See you in the next chapter!)**_**


	8. Voyage 6

Inside the chest were the most unique and beautiful shaped jewels that the crew had ever laid eyes on. There were animals, birds, sea creatures, plants, butterflies, and more.

"Ooooooo," the boys awed with dazzled eyes.

"Never knew gems could be cut like that," exclaimed Nami, flabbergasted.

"I like the rainbow frog, it's cute!" Prilla said gleefully.

"Hey, it looks like there's another compartment here," Usopp pointed out.

Lia smiled. _'Thought someone would notice,'_ she thought as she reached out and lifted the box that had the first set of gems to reveal another set. There were only three, but they reeeaaalllly stood out. One was in the shape of a heart, the other was some sort of bird, and the last one was the biggest looking diamond the crew had ever seen.

"Holly crap! Those things are huge!" Usopp hollered. And he was not wrong, each of them were the size of an average kitchen plate.

"And have more value than the others," Lia brought up.

"Is it by their worth?" Nami asked.

Lia shook her head. "No, these jewels were used on the very night of our parents' night of 'love for each other'."

She first pointed at the heart. "This one is called 'The Lover's Heart'. It first comes in two halves, but when two souls find them and put them together, it becomes whole and shows that those two souls are destined lovers. And our parents just happened to find this one at that time."

Nami and Usopp swooned at the story. "How romantic~."

Prilla giggled at them. Then pointed at the bird one. "This one looks like a Medolark," she implied.

"What's a Medolark?" Luffy asked.

Prilla looked at him and happily explained. "They're a kind of bird in the Fae kingdom. They look similar to humming birds, but they're the size of chickadees and have a long tail. And are very colorful. They say that Medolarks chirp the most lovely tunes."

"Hence their name right?" Zoro queried. The little fairy girl nodded.

"I'm guessing there was one when your father purposed?" Nami questioned.

"Yep. And that last one isn't a diamond. It's a 'symphony stone'," Lia told them.

"Symphony stone?" The crew tilted their heads.

"Yes, they're magical jewels that either magically play a song you're thinking or record one that has been played. However, once it does either of those things, it will only play or record that specific kind of music," Lia explained.

"So what kind of song does it have now?" Luffy asked, not turning away from the said jewel.

"Let's find out," Prilla said, taking the stone out and standing up. Everyone gathered around and watched her tap the stone twice. The stone lit up at the same time she did that, and then started to steadily glow while a melody began to play.

The group stood there, and their eyes closed in peace as they listened to the song. Luffy and Ussop sat down and laid on the grass. Both were smiling as they relaxed. Nami closed her eyes to.

 _'Such a beautiful melody. Bell-mère would have loved this,'_ she thought. A stray tear fell from her face.

As Zoro listened, all he did was stare at Lia.

To him, it was like she was the voice that was playing in the gem. He could practically picture it in his head, complimenting her very being.

 _'One of these day's, I will tell you how I feel. I hope in my heart that you feel the same way,'_ he prayed. Soon the song came to a close, and Prilla placed the stone back in the chest.

"Are all Fae songs that soothing?" Usopp asked in a sigh. Lia and Prilla giggled at him.

"Sometimes, there are some Fair Folk music that's loud and exciting. However, those are mostly played in festivals and grand gatherings," Prilla told him.

"Are there other stones like that one?" Luffy asked.

"Yes, but you have to be very specific of what music you want it to play," Lia explained. She looked up to the sky and saw that the sun was starting to come down.

"It's starting to get late, we might not have lunch. But I hope you guys are alright with staying one more night before we ship off," Lia inquired.

"Not at all," Nami replied happily.

"I don't mind either," Usopp agreed.

"Oh Yeah!" Luffy cheered.

"Another night here doesn't sound so bad," Zoro said, folding his arms behind his head with a smile.

Prilla's face lit up with glee and Lia gratefully smiled. "Okay, we can have a camp out dinner in the backyard. That way we'll get to see the lights."

"The lights?" Luffy and Usopp questioned with a tilt of their heads.

"You'll see~," Prilla sang, smiling like a goof. The crew looked at each other with uncertainty.

"Come on, I know a path that will lead us back to the house," Lia waved them to follow her.

The crew followed the two girls across the field to a vast tree line, brimming with green life.

Zoro made an impressed whistle. "That's quite a forest."

"No kidding, just looking at the trees makes me feel small," Usopp implied. Lia walked up to a curtain of leafy vines, she pulled it away to reveal a rough stone path.

"Well, what are you guys waiting for? An invitation?" she joked, walking in.

"All right!" Luffy laughed, rushing in with Zoro following.

"But wait a minute. That path is all dark because of the trees. How are we gonna see where we're going?" Nami asked.

"Don't worry about it. That won't be an issue once we're inside," Prilla assured her.

The navigator and sniper looked at each other doubtfully, but they followed anyways. Once through the vines, it was like had Nami said; dark, with only specks of light that came through the vines.

"Relax guys. As we keep moving, the path will light up soon enough," said Lia. Hearing her walk forward, the others followed.

As they walked, Usopp and Nami started to get anxious with fear. But only a little. Nami was about to say something when random lights came up on the path mysteriously. They lit up the path enough for the group to see it clearly. But soon enough, more appeared along with glowing dragon flies, lighting up the entire area the pirates and sisters were in.

Usopp looked closely to see the lights were fireflies.

"I guess we should have seen this coming," he sighed.

"Whoa," he heard Luffy exclaim. He turned to see what was so amazing that had his straw hat friend so bewildered. Soon he was too; the rough rocky path was surrounded by plant life that glowed along with the light up insects. The area looked magical _(See pic above)._ Well, more so than anything they had already seen.

"If I were to settle down after my pirate life, I'm definitely coming back and living here," the long nose man claimed, awed by the scenery.

"I'm with you on that Usopp," said the ginger headed woman.

"Come on, we're almost there. So quit lollygagging," Lia told them as she and her sister kept walking.

"Hey wait for us!" shouted Luffy, running to catching up with the others.

A few minutes later, the group came to another curtain of vines. Lia went through them without any hesitation, and so did the others. To their surprise, they walked right into the sisters' backyard.

"What the-!?" Nami and Usopp shouted.

"We were just in the forest no longer then a few minutes, and already we're in the backyard?!" Usopp loudly questioned.

"So the forest is a mystery forest?" Luffy asked.

Lia and Prilla laughed.

"No, due to the magic the forest is filled with, it has the power to lead people to where they need to be, not to where they want to go. We needed to get back to the house, so here we are." Lia presented them the backyard of the house.

The back of the house was just as breath taking as the front. Most of it was part of the forest, but it was complemented by the stone garden next to a sitting area that had a round stone fire pit. Around the pit were smooth stones that were good enough to sit on and a two person cushion bench. Everything else was a garden.

"The garden's lovely," Nami brought up, walking down the stone stairs.

"Thanks. Magic has it's perks but sometimes it's more fun to grow things by hand," Lia replied. Everyone went over to sit down around the pit, when Luffy caught a whiff of a mouth-watering aroma.

"Oooooo, something smells good," he drooled.

They heard a voice coming up behind them. "He, he, he. Why thank you young man. I hope this tastes as good as it smells." Everyone turned to see an elder woman in warm robes, holding a wood cane. She had a kind face with sparkling blue eyes to match.

"Everyone, this is Nanny Willow. She's our caretaker, housekeeper and cook. And gives the best of hugs!" Prilla cheered, giving the old woman a hug of her own. Nanny laughed as she patted her on the back.

"Oh, you are too kind Prilla." She then turned to the crew. "I hope you young ones have been enjoying your stay here." Willow smiled at them. They smiled back.

"Yes, it's been a wonderful experience," Nami happily replied. Usopp and Zoro nodded.

"Yeah! Seeing that magic and fairies are real, the different kinds of creatures, tasting good food. I love it here!" Luffy announced. His crew sweat-dropped.

"Calm down Luffy," Usopp said.

"I second that," grumbled Zoro.

Nanny Willow just laughed. "My, my. I haven't seen such a lively pirate captain since Shanks last visited," she mentioned.

Luffy gawked at her with his mouth wide open. "You knew Shanks too Nanny?"

Willow nodded with a smile. "Yes, the first time I met him, he was the same as you, if not older. Ah he was so full of wonder and spirit, it was like seeing Oberon in his teen years," she told Luffy while smiling at him. He grinned back with a laugh.

The woman then turned to Usopp. He blinked as she smiled at him. "I also have fond memories of your father young man. Are you Usopp by chance?" she asked, bringing over large pot to the fire (although Prilla carried it for her).

Usopp couldn't help but grin like a child getting candy. "Yeah! I am. What was my pops like when you met him?" he anxiously asked.

She sat down as soon as she finished hanging the pot over the fire. Zoro gave her his seat on the bench.

"Well, when I first met him, he was as full of spirit as his captain. The two seemed like wonderful friends at the time. In fact, did you know that your father was one of the first Shanks ever recruited when he started out?" she asked him.

Usopp shook his head. "Really?"

"Yes, and he was quite the marksmen I might add," Willow said.

"What awesome shots did you see Yassop do Nanny?" Luffy asked. Willow looked away as she thought about that.

"Let's see now, oh yes. This one time I went out to gather apples so I could make my dutch oven apple pie. Though it might have been a little high for me, I tried to reach a few apples while standing on a root that was out of the ground. At one point, I was about to fall forward until a pair of strong arms caught me. It was Shanks; he and Yassop had been exploring when they found me. They offered to help me with the apples. And so they did, in a very interesting way. Yassop used his pistol to shoot the apples right off their branches. And Shanks caught them as they fell from the tree. It was quite a sight; not one apple was damaged or bruised as Yassop shot them down."

The two boys laughed after Nanny was done with her story.

"Nanny, I think it's ready," Lia informed her.

"You may be right Lia," Nanny got up and removed the lid of the pot. Inside were well cooked dumplings.

"Ooooooo." "They smell delicious." The boys and Nami praised.

"These are my special veggie-pork dumplings. The veggies were grown from my garden and I bought high quality pork at the neighboring island's market," Nanny Willow exclaimed.

Prilla passed a plate to everyone and a small bowl of sauce.

"Alright everyone, dig in," Nanny happily told them. No one hesitated to eat, especially Luffy.

"Mmmmm, so good."

"You said it," Usopp and Nami replied.

"By the way young man." Nanny was staring at the swordsman.

"Hmm?"

"Are you by chance Zoro?"

"Yeah?"

Nanny started to chuckle a bit. "Lia, didn't you once tell me of a boy by that name who gave you that flower?"

Both the said woman and swordsman turned red. Nami, who happened to be the only one who had heard Willow, giggled. "Nanny, I think you and I are going to get a long just fine when it comes to these two."

Nanny laughed with Nami. "I may be old, but I can still be mischievous as you young ones can be," she joked. Both she and Nami laughed even harder.

"Nanny, please," Lia softly scolded.

"If you don't mind me asking Nanny," Everyone turned to Usopp. "How old are you exactly?"

"Now that you mention it, Usopp, I remember Lia telling me and Zoro that fairies have a hundred year extended life span," Nami added.

"You guys can live up to a hundred?" Luffy awed at Prilla when she popped a dumpling in her mouth.

Prilla shook her head then spoke. "Not exactly. You see, I look ten as a human. But in fairy years, I'm actually a thousand years old. Which is still pretty young for a fairy."

"Seriously?!" Luffy and Usopp shouted. Lia explained to them about the life span of the fair folk, so they were up to speed.

"So you guys can still age like humans can. But it takes longer due to the added years to your life?" Usopp summarized.

"Yep." "That's pretty much the gist of it, yeah." Prilla and Lia told him.

"And another fun fact," Nanny mentioned. "We Fair Folk can offer the extra life to humans."

" **Really?!** " everyone shouted.

"Yes, but at a price. Once that human takes on the life of a Fae, they can no longer live in the mundane world," she finished.

"What do you mean by that?" Nami asked.

"She means that if a human decides to live like us, they have to live in our world, not theirs. With no connection with their friends, families, or any human contact," Lia explained.

"But why?" Usopp asked.

"Is it because of the extra years?" Zoro brought up.

Nanny nodded. "Tell me, if you were to have your life given an extra hundred years, could you live with yourself seeing those you love and care for go on with their lives? With you out living them?" she asked. The crew held their heads down. "It would be quite lonely wouldn't it?" she finished.

"I think I get it." They turned to Usopp. "The Fae take the humans that were given the extra life span to live with them, so that those humans can still be with others over those years. And without watching their loved ones out age them," he hypothesized.

"That's one of the reasons. But also, consider this. Say a human were to marry a Fae. Would it be fair to the Fae to out live them? No, so the human is given those years so they can be with the Fae," Nanny said.

"By any chance, is the rule the same if a Fairy lives with a human?" Luffy asked. His crew looked at him with flabbergasted expressions.

 _'Did he just think of a good question for once?'_ they wondered.

"Yes, but different. If a Fae wanted to live in the human world with their chosen, they would have to give up their magic and become fully human themselves," Prilla explained.

"And they would no longer have any connections with their former home right?" Zoro asked.

Prilla nodded to him.

"Oh, to answer your previous question Usopp, I ask you a question of my own," Nanny implied to him.

"Uh? Okay, ask away," he stated.

"How old do I appear to you?" she asked.

Usopp rested his hand on his chin and pondered. "Ummmmm, late sixties?" he answered uncertainly.

Willow chuckled a bit. "Close, seventy-two. Now times that by a hundred," she told him.

He started counting with his fingers. "Let's see, seventy-two times a hundred is..?"

"You're seven thousand and two hundred years," Zoro solved for him.

Usopp whistled impressed. "Wow, you don't even look a day over seventy," he said to Nanny.

"Why thank you young man. Just hearing that makes me feel like I'm back in my teens," she gushed. Everyone laughed with her. The sun started to set as everyone was laughing and having a good time. Especially with Nanny Willow's special treat.

"Mmm, this dutch-oven pie is delicious Nanny Willow," Usopp implied.

"Mhm!" Luffy agreed, eating three slices.

"Eat all you like," she smiled.

"Don't be too generous. Luffy will take you seriously," Nami warned.

"Hey!" Luffy wined. Lia laughed then looked to the sky, then to her caretaker.

"It's almost time Nanny," she told her. Willow looked too.

"Right you are Lia. Would you dim the fire?" she asked. And Lia did.

"What are you doing Lia?" Luffy asked.

Lia smiled and brought a finger to her lips. "Shh, watch," she told him. The crew stayed quiet as the sun faded completely out of sight and night fell upon them. The entire backyard was pitch black. The only sources of light were the path lights and the fire pit. Though those weren't too bright.

"Ummm, is something suppose to happen?" Usopp asked.

"Just wait~." Prilla smiled. As soon as Prilla had said that, the entire yard became slowly illuminated by many tiny lights.

"Whooooooa," Luffy and Usopp awed.

"Second that," Zoro commented.

"So pretty," Nami swooned.

"Every night it's like this," Nanny began to explain. "When ever the sun goes down, all the plants release a bit of magic that lights up calm peaceful nights like this one," she finished. As the crew stared at the lights, something dawned on Luffy.

"Hey Lia?"

"Yes?"

"When you said we'd see lights at your place, is this what you meant?" he asked. Lia smiled.

"I'd take that as a 'yes'," Zoro assumed.

"That's not all, look up," Prilla said urged. As they did so, they were in awe again. The night sky was brimming with stars. Some actually twinkled and sparkled. The crew was speechless, even Luffy.

"Look! A shooting star!" Luffy pointed.

"Well hurry and make a wish!" "Yeah!" Usopp and Prilla told him. Luffy nodded, then closed his eyes shut, and wished hard. When he was done, he burst out laughing.

"What'd you wish for?" Usopp asked.

Luffy pouted at him. "It won't come true if I tell it," he grumbled.

"Right." Usopp sweat-dropped.

"*Yawns* I'm about ready to hit the sack," Zoro yawned tiredly.

"Me too," Nami agreed.

"I hope you all remember where your rooms are," Lia said.

"We do," the boys and Nami replied back as they waved goodnight to her. Lia waved back, then turned to notice Zoro still near the pit, gazing up at the night sky.

"Is Zoro okay?" Prilla wondered.

"I'm sure he's fine. He seems like a good strong young man," Nanny assured her. "Come on, dear. Time for bed. If you hurry, I'll tell you a good embarrassing story about your father." Prilla grinned, happy at the thought. Then she ran off.

"See you inside Nanny!" she called out. The elder chuckled, then turned to Lia.

"Don't stay out too long," she told her, implying that went for both her and Zoro.

"We'll go in soon," Lia assured her caretaker. Willow nodded and walked back to the house. Lia faced Zoro, then walked up to him. She smiled at him, then started to gaze up with him.

"Almost like the stars back in Shimotsuki Village," she said.

"Yeah," was all he said. They both stood there for a while, until Zoro spoke up.

"Lia do you remember the promise I made to you back then?"

"Of course. Why do you-?" She was cut off when he held her by her shoulders.

"Lia, once we set sail tomorrow, I fully intend to keep that promise, and help you achieve your goals. And...and when the time comes, I have something I need to tell you but I don't have the strength right now to do it. So-" He was cut off when Lia placed a finger on his lips.

"It's okay. When you think the time is right, you can tell me. In fact, I have something to tell you too, but I don't feel like right now is the best time. So, when either one of us is ready, we'll tell what we have to say to each other," she said.

Zoro felt relieved that she understood, and nodded to her in agreement. Unbeknownst to them, all three of their friends were listening in on them. As well as a certain elder.

"So, they really care for each other huh?" Luffy questioned. The other two sweat-dropped over his oblivious stupidity.

"Yes Luffy they do," Nami seethed. Nanny Willow just chuckled at them, then sighed at the two young lovers in front of her.

' _It's like seeing Oberon and Titania again,'_ she thought. Nami came up with a fun idea for herself.

"Hey Usopp."

"Yeah?"

"Sixty berries says Zoro will confess his feelings first," she bet. Usopp had a feeling that placing a bet with Nami wasn't smart. But it seemed like a simple bet and the wager wasn't that high so he thought 'why not?'.

"Alright, then I guess I'm betting that Lia will do it before he does?"

Nami nodded.

"How about I add a little something?" he suggested. Trying to be all devious, Nami lifted a brow in interest.

"Oh, what did you have in mind?"

"Who ever wins has to give the winner not only their wagered money, but also has to buy them one expensive item of their choosing," he explained.

Nami didn't hesitate to shake his hand. "I like the way you think. But it's not too late to back out if you're too scared," she taunted.

Usopp scoffed at that. "Yeah right, you wish." However, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being 'had'.

The next morning, everyone was up and ready to set off. But first they enjoyed some breakfast that Nanny had made for them. After that, they were at the 'Going Merry'. As the crew gathered supplies and other necessities, Usopp and Luffy were exploring the green house that Lia had built.

"I still can't wrap my head around the fact that it's so wide and spacious on the inside while looking like a small glass shack outside," Usopp mumbled.

Luffy just chuckled. "Who cares? It's awesome!"

"Just to let you know, guys," Prilla said as she showed up. "Lia and I are going to mark the plants so you won't end up eating Fae foods on accident."

"That would be very helpful," Usopp thought out-loud.

"I don't wanna get stuck with eating vegetables forever," Luffy shivered at the thought of it.

Zoro placed a crate of food down. "That's the last one right?" he asked.

"Yep," Lia confirmed. Nami was talking with Willow.

"Are you sure these will be safe with you?" Nanny asked holding a certain chest.

Nami nodded. "I'm sure. Besides Lia wants to bring them along to keep an eye on them. Also you'd have to be stupid to steal Fairy treasure from fairies," she mentioned, sweat-dropping at the end.

Willow chuckled. "You have a point. It would be best to keep them in the green house. After all, we Fae have a thing for nature," she said as she smiled.

"Good to know," Nami smiled back, taking the chest.

"Are we ready yet?" Luffy impatiently asked.

"Almost," Zoro said, bring up the anchor.

"Oh Luffy, Usopp," Nanny called out.

"Yeah?" they both looked at her.

"Here, take this." She held out a small velvet bag. Both boys jumped off the ship and went up to her.

"What is it?" asked Luffy, holding his hand out under the bag. Willow placed it in his palm.

"A little something to remember me by. Open it when you go," she told them.

"Alright," Usopp said.

"Thanks Nanny," Luffy smiled.

"No my boy, thank you," Willow said gratefully.

As the boys went back to the ship, Lia and Prilla went over to their caretaker one last time to say their final goodbyes.

"I'm gonna miss you Nanny," Prilla said hugging the woman.

"Me too my dear. But don't fret, you can always call me through the Fae orb," she assured the young fairy. Prilla nodded, giving one last hug, then flew back to the ship.

Lia stood before her elder. "Lia," Willow started. "It seems like only yesterday you were no more than a child when I started to take care of you and your siblings. Now, here you are. A fine young woman setting off to make her goals a reality while becoming the next Queen of Avalon. Those folks you'll be traveling with will make sure of that." She smiled. Lia smiled back but slightly.

Willow saw this, then held out her hand and continued. "Don't let the past rule over you. I miss him too. But I know for a fact that Thaylim would tell you the same thing. You are a strong and capable woman Lianara, and there is nothing in this world that can make it otherwise. You're so much more like your parents than you realize and just as powerful. And that boy Luffy knows it too," she told her.

Lia turned to look behind her and saw everyone on the ship was smiling at her, as if telling her that she has nothing to worry about. Luffy gave her his signature grin. Lia turned back to Willow. "You'll be fine my child. You just need a little more faith in yourself," the woman finished. Lia warmly smiled at her with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you, Nanny. For everything." She leaned down to embrace her. Willow returned the favor.

"My pleasure my child," Nanny whispered, tightening her hold a little. They both let go of each other. "Oh and one more thing," Nanny mentioned, as she pulled out a basket of treats. "My parting gift to you and the others. Be sure everyone enjoys them," she told Lia.

Lia happily took it. "Again, thank you."

Willow nodded to her as Lia flew back to join the crew. The sail was opened up and the ship was off. Everyone waved to the old woman as they called out their goodbyes.

"Bye Nanny!" - Prilla

"Yeah! See Ya!" - Luffy

"Nanny! Be sure to remember the mighty warrior Usopp!" - Usopp

"Thank You Nanny!" - Nami

As the others were shouting goodbye, Lia and Zoro just waved at her and the woman waved back. Once the ship was in the distance, Willow put down her arm.

"*Sigh* That boy has quite the spirit," Willow sighed while looking up to the sky. "Then again, you were just the same...Roger."

 ** _To Be Continued...…._**

 ** _ **Finally! Finished with the first part of the girls story! Now they're off on their first ever journey with the Straw Hat Pirates! Hope you've all been enjoying the story so far, the next chapter will take us to a certain restraint with a certain chef... Wait for the next chapter to see more, See ya!**_**


	9. Voyage 7

The girls were enjoying their new life. After they had left Serene Island, the days that followed were quite a ride for the girls. It was a big change from only staying in one place on an island to being in a new place everyday. But both girls thought that it was definitely a good change and they adjusted to sea life quickly.

Their animal friends seemed to be adjusting well in their new home too. Just yesterday Prilla, Luffy, Usopp and Izzy had been playing hide & seek. And as always, Izzy came out the winner. Luffy had made it a goal to break her winning streak. Prilla wished him the best of luck but didn't believe that goal would be possible. Sakura got along with Zoro and Nami just fine. She would take nice naps in the sun with Zoro and let Nami help out in the green house with her and Lia.

At the moment, everyone was doing their own thing. Nami was looking through some maps of other islands in the 'East Blue'. Usopp was repairing his sling-shot. Prilla was playing with Izzy and Sakura in the green house. Lia was just gazing out at the vast ocean. She felt like she was sailing with her brother again, a feeling she had oh so missed. Zoro was just napping on the roof of the dinning hut, again. Luffy, on the other hand, was doing who knew what, until he came up the stairs of the back dock.

Everyone, excluding Zoro, jumped when they heard something slam against the deck.

"This sucker's heavy," Luffy huffed, out of breath.

"What the hell is that?" Nami asked.

"Found it in the store-room," Luffy answered. Lia went up to him and found that he had brought up a crate of cannon-balls.

"Why did you bring a whole crate of cannon balls up here, Luffy?" she asked.

Luffy pointed to a nearby cannon and answered, " I figured since we have our own cannon now, we can get in some target practice."

Lia hummed at the thought. "That is a good point, but do you even know how to use a cannon?"

Usopp jumped into the conversation. "Just leave the cannoning to me!" He proudly pointed to himself. Then he smiled as he started to tell another of his exaggerated stories. "I harken back to the time I was three years old, and jumped onto a passing cannon ball riding it half way around the world..."

However Luffy wasn't paying any attention to him at all as he wondered how to work the cannon.

"So um how do you work this thing?"

"Hey! Listen!" Usopp snapped.

Luffy turned to Zoro's direction. "Zoro! You know how to shoot this?!" he shouted. But the swordsman didn't hear him.

"Aaaasleep. The guy sleeps constantly," Nami complained.

Lia sighed. "Well that's what he gets when he decides to spar in the middle of the night," she says, recalling when he had asked her to train with him the other night.

"He's no fun," Luffy whined.

"You know, just to the south of here, that reef would make some excellent target practice," Nami suggested.

Luffy got excited. "Let's go!"

As the boys started to get all revved up for the cannon, Lia went over to where Zoro slept. She sat next to him, folding her legs. The woman couldn't help smiling at his peaceful sleeping face. Then she gazed at the white scabbard sword that laid next to him. Lia's smile started to fade. She leaned over, took the sword and held it in her hands.

 _'How did you end up with Zoro? How did Kuina pass on?'_ she contemplated.

Lia held it tight as she whispered a chant. In an instant, a flash appeared in her mind as she saw a vision of Kuina and Zoro as kids in a field at night with real swords.

 _'This must have been after Thaylim and I left the island,'_ Lia assumed.

The two stood there for a minute, then engaged. Each of them had close hits with the other but still held their posture. When Zoro had his guard down for a bit, Kuina took her chance and pinned him to the ground, making yet another win for Kuina.

When she got up, Zoro started to cry in frustration. But then stopped when Kuina started to whimper.

 _'She must upset of how others judge a woman wanting to be master of swords. I don't blame her,'_ Lia sympathized.

Then she saw Zoro get up and shout his feeling and reason at her, just like he did with Lia.

He went up to Kuina. _**"** Now promise me. Promise me that someday one of us will be the world's greatest swordsman! We compete and see who gets there! And should one win, they'll be Lia's partner to help her with her goals and dreams. **"**_

 __Lia was speechless.

Though she thought that last bit was a little much to be added to their promise, it was also some what comforting that Zoro thought she deserved the best. And how she had still been in his thoughts. Soon she saw them shake hands.

 _ **"** It's a promise, **"**_ they said.

Then the scene changed to Kuina in the dojo's store house. She hiked up the stairs looking for something, but her search was short lived when her foot slipped and she started to fall down the stairs.

 _'NO!'_ Seeing where this was going, Lia looked away in tears.

The scene changed again, to a dreadful rainy afternoon. She noticed a vast group of sword masters and monks surrounding a carriage... that held a coffin. Lia didn't need to think twice to know who was resting in that box.

 _ **"** They say she slipped and fell down the store house steps. **"**_ She started to hear some of the group speak to others.

 _ **"** Store house? **"**_

 _ **"** Looking for a sharpening stone for her beloved sword. **"**_

Lia brought her head down, her hair shadowing her eyes. _'So that's it,'_ she thought.

The two men continued. _**"** What would she need that for? **"**_

 _ **"** I do not know. **"**_

 _ **"** She was just a child too. **"**_

 _ **"** Who knows why anyone does anything. There's no way to rationalize it. **"**_

 _ **"** Guess you never know what's waiting for you around the next corner. **"**_

Tears started to fall from Lia's eyes. _'That's fate for you. Unpredictable and cruel.'_ She noticed Zoro was with the group, but his eyes didn't linger off of the box.

The scene changed to the dojo with the sunlight dimming. Master Koushirou was sitting in front of the dojo's shrine and Zoro was sitting behind from afar. Then, Koushirou spoke.

 _ **"** It may appear otherwise to the blind eye, but people are quite fragile things. Kuina, she was a very competitive girl. By the time she was old enough to make a decision for herself, she practiced in this dojo. Achieving strength that surpassed many adults. It was this fruition of power that caused her to be a bit conceded, **"**_ __

 _**"** When Lianara came, her fruition faded a bit. With having a friendly and worthy opponent, Kuina no longer wanted to become stronger to be the best. She wanted to prove herself along with Lianara that even women can be sword masters too. She may have not seen this but, Lianara helped Kuina proceed in a bright path. **"**_

Lia couldn't hold back her tears. Hearing that she had played a part in Kuina's life and helped her warmed her heart. But she wished that she was there in person to say her peace.

Master Koushirou continued, _**"** Then you appeared Zoro, and I thank you for this. Because as you grew ever stronger, Kuina felt compelled to practice even more. So as not to lose to you, so as not to lose to a boy. Through this she began to chip away at the walls of female swordsmanship. Despite any of which I speak, I am... above all other things, an ordinary parent, **"**_

Zoro did his best to hold in his words of feelings while Koushirou kept speaking his wisdom. _**"** And as any human, I am bound by my emotions, as well as my blood. When I look at you now Zoro, I feel only pain. And I can't say what Lianara would feel if she were here." _

Soon, Zoro was shedding tears as much as Lia was from watching this. His hands clenched in pain and grief.

 _ **"** Sensei, I ask that you let me have that sword, **"**_ Zoro asked.

Master Koushirou looked down on the white sword. _**"** Kuina's sword? **"**_ Then Zoro faced him with much determination, pride, and emotion. Letting more tears fall.

 _ **"** I'll get stronger! Stronger than she ever was, you hear me?! Strong enough that my name reaches up to the heavens! **"**_ he announced. Sensei and Lia watched as spoke on. _ **"** I am going to be the world's greatest swordsman. I promised her, I promised. I did, **"**_ he cried. He brought his head down, not bearing to continue any further.

 _'Oh Zoro,'_ Lia wept. Koushirou barely faced him, but he had a smile on his face as he hummed in thought.

 **"** _Yes, the sword is yours,_ **"** he said. Zoro paused as he looked up to see Sensei turning fully to him and holding out the said sword.

Koushirou smiled as he said, **"** _I leave her spirit and her dreams, in your hands._ **"** With that, Zoro roared out his cries to the heavens, letting his emotions flow. Lia smiled gratefully, happy that Zoro's dream has more purpose.

The vision changed one final time, showing a full grown Zoro and an aged Koushirou in front of a grave. Zoro was bowing down to it, giving his respects and condolences.

 _ **"** It's been eight years now Zoro. You finally going to set out on your own? **"**_ Sensei asked as Zoro got up.

 _ **"** Yes Sensei. To fulfill, my promises **."**_ He turned to his elder. Master Koushirou smiled as Zoro bowed and walked off.

 _ **"** Zoro, **"**_ Sensei called out causing Zoro to stop and turn his face to him.

Sensei kept smiling. _**"** Take care, and be sure to see Lianara on your travels, **"**_ he told the younger man. Zoro smiled, then nodded to him.

Lia smiled at the two men, then sighed as she faced her friend's resting place. She focused her magic, so that her spirit was there at the present time. Lia used her magic once more and small magnolia branches appeared in her hands. She placed each branch in the vases that were on the sides of the grave stone.

She bowed, paying her respects. _"Kuina, I don't know if you can hear me but I'm sorry for not saying my words of peace to you. If only I had known what had happened. During my training and my travels, I never stopped thinking about the time we spent together. Not only were you a worthy opponent, but you were also a great friend. You'd be happy to know that me and Zoro are now together in pirate crew. I know, unexpected of us right?"_

Lia laughed a little, then continued. _"He still carries your sword and promise. I'll be sure he becomes the next greatest swordsman, though there will be obstacles and dangers along the way. But I'm sure we'll manage. Please continue to look after us. And wish us the best of luck for our goals. Goodbye Kuina."_

And with that, Lia finished and brought herself back to her current position. When she started to open her eyes, she jumped at the sound of cannon fire. Apparently, it had also woken up Zoro.

"That was way off the mark," Luffy said.

"Definitely. I may have never shot a cannon but I've seen enough to tell that was bad aiming," Prilla told him.

Zoro got up and looked over to the group. "Hey what's so loud down there?" he asked.

"Hi Zoro," Prilla waved.

"Cannon firing practice. But it's not going very well," Luffy answered, trying to figure out his next move.

"Yeah, because you suck at it," Prilla teased.

"Hey," Luffy grunted.

Usopp smugly sighed and smiled while pointing to himself. "Like I said, let the expert aim the thing."

Prilla gave him a blank stare. "Have you even fired one before?" she blatantly asked.

"Have you?" he retorted back.

"Touché," she joked.

Usopp payed her no mind and turned his attention back to the cannon. "Judging by the flying distance of the last one, this should do it," he estimated. Bringing the cannon to a new angle, he readied and aimed the thing. "Fire!" He fired it and the cannon ball hit right on the mark.

"Whoa!" Prilla was amazed.

"Awesome! You hit that thing on the first try!" Luffy pointed out, amazed as well.

"Whoa I did," Usopp was surprised too, like he hadn't expect to hit the intended target. He quickly straightened up and acted proud and professional. "What you guys think? I'm pretty impressive when it comes to aiming, so you're impressed yet?" he asked.

Prilla just gave him a blank look. _'I'm pretty sue that was pure luck. However if you can keep that up, then I'll be impressed,'_ she muttered in her head.

But with Luffy; "Yeah you better believe it. So it's all settled, you'll be our sniper," he proclaimed.

Usopp was taken back. "Wait, I don't get to be Captain!?"

"No I'm still the Captain!" Luffy replied. Zoro and Lia just grinned at the two. As Zoro got up to go down in the mess hall with the others, he noticed Lia was still holding his sword.

"Uh Lia."

"Hmm?"

He pointed to his sword.

"Oh! Sorry, forgot I was still holding it," she sweat-dropped and apologized while handing it back to him.

"Why were you holding it anyway?" he asked. She looked away and made a small soft smile.

"You could say, I was paying my respects to our friend," she answered. Zoro's eyes widened a bit, then he knelt down in front of her.

"Lia, you know Kuina wouldn't want her death to get in the way of the goals you've made," he reasoned.

"I know. I just wanted to say my words of peace to her. Since I didn't get to before," she explained. Zoro softly smiled, then the two joined everyone else at the mess table. They sat and listened to their friends chat. Then Luffy started to say something that caught their attention.

"Ya know guys, I was thinking. There's one other position that we have to fill before we could head out to the 'Grand Line'," he mentioned.

Nami looked up at him, pausing her writing, "You're right. The kitchen is really nice on this ship, just pay me and I'll do it," she suggested.

"Or me and Prilla could do it. Just as long as you guys aren't so picky on what we make," Lia spoke out.

Zoro hummed, "I supposes it is vital for long trips."

"It's very vital, unless you want to starve. Plus let me tell you, you don't want to be around a hungry dragon," Prilla jumped in, catching on to the conversation.

"No descent pirate ship should be without one... A musician," Luffy said.

Everyone grunted.

"Ah, are you an idiot!?" Zoro spouted.

"Did you seriously neglect the subject we were actually taking about?" Lia deadpanned.

"How did 'musician' get into the subject anyway?" Prilla sweat-dropped.

"What do you think we're doing out here?!" Nami scolded him.

"Just when I thought you were going to say something smart," Usopp exasperatingly sighed.

Luffy started to make up his excuse. "But we're pirates. And pirates sing a lot, didn't you know?"

Lia sighed as she folded her arms and shook her head.

"That may be with some pirates Luffy, but-" she was cut off when they heard something crash and someone shouting.

"Get out here you damn pirates!" Everyone jumped and wondered who was shouting. Luffy got up, went over and opened the door to see who causing the ruckus. The others, excluding Zoro and Sakura, observed from the window.

"Hey what the hell?! Who are you?!" he spouted at a strange man. He was tan and had short black hair, wearing a light blue hoodie over a purple shirt, light tan pants and black boots. Also he wore small sun glasses that covered his eyes. And tattooed on the side of his face was a saying for 'sea'.

"Shut up! Who I am means nothing. You stinking pirate!" The stranger swung his sword down at Luffy who narrowly dodged it as is broke a part of the dock railing. Nami and Usopp were looking a little nervous.

Lia and Prilla on the other hand; "What's this guys problem?" they both asked bluntly.

"Hey guys, how many are there?" Zoro asked.

"From the looks of it, just one," Lia told him.

"Then just let him handle it," he said.

Lia turned to him. "Not worried in the least, are you?" she coyly smiled.

"Nah, the guy doesn't sound that tough," Zoro simply excused.

"He doesn't look that tough either," Prilla added.

The stranger turned and scowled at Luffy. "Over the years, I've lost count of all the pirate heads we've taken. And now you guys think- you can kill my partner!?" he swung his sword down again to strike Luffy but he dodged it again.

"Huh?" Lia heard Zoro murmur, as if something had struck his thoughts. "That voice..." he thought in recognition.

"What is it Zoro?" She didn't hear his answer when she heard Luffy.

"What do you mean by partner?! Look I don't know what this is, just stop wrecking my ship!" He grabbed the man by the head and tossed him to the wall behind him.

"AHH!" the man yelled in pain. "Lost by a hair," he groaned, landing on his back.

"Who is this guy?" Luffy asked no one. Lia saw Zoro get up and walk out the door. He stood over the beaten man.

"Johnny, tell me that isn't you," he groaned, slightly irritated.

The said man, Johnny, looked up. "Huh? Who's saying my name like they think they know me or something?" he sneered. But once he got a good look at Zoro, he instantly regretted his words as he immediately sat up. "Gah! Big Bro Zoro!"

"Johnny, it is you!" Zoro said.

"What are you doing here Big Bro?!" Johnny asked.

"Where's Yosaku? Isn't he with you?" Zoro questioned.

Luffy just stared blankly at them, having no idea what was happening. "What's going on? You guys know each other or something?" he asked.

"It would appear so," Lia assumed, coming out too.

Johnny blushed when he saw Lia. He had never seen a woman so beautiful in his life. He shook his head, getting back to the matter as he got on his feet. "Why are you on a pirate ship Big Bro? What's going on around here ?" he roughly asked.

Zoro tried to calm him down. "Hey relax, is everything okay? Where's Yosaku?" he asked.

Back in the cabin, Usopp and Nami murmured, "Hey look, Zoro knows that guy." "What's going on here?"

"Maybe they were friends awhile back?" Prilla thought out loud.

"That might be it," the two said.

As Johnny was talking to Zoro, Lia noticed some rope hanging off to the side.

"What's that?" She walked over to it and saw the rope was tethered to a small ship, suited for at least two or three people.

"Hmm?" She saw a person lying on the ship's deck. The person's appearance shocked her. Then everyone heard her shout, "What in Avalon's name happened to him?!" Zoro and Johnny ran up beside her, and saw what she was taking about.

Johnny started to whimper and tears fell from his face. "He's been sick," he uttered. Zoro placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

Lia gave them a deadpanned look. "Well, don't just stand there. Let's get him up here so we can see how bad it is," Lia said with sternness and concern in her voice.

They did so, and Yosaku was on the their deck laying on a mat. He really didn't look so good; his eyes were rolled to the back and his skin was deathly pale. Blood trickled down from his lips and there appeared to be a opened wound on his abdomen. With the condition he's in, it looked like it had gotten worse.

"What is it?" Zoro asked.

"Up until a few days ago, he was healthy and full of life. And now, he keeps fainting and getting really pale. I have no idea what's causing it!" Johnny explained in dread. Nami and Prilla came down and walked up to the group. Johnny continued.

"His teeth have been falling out and his old wound opened up and started bleeding. He just got worse and worse, I didn't know what to do. So I thought maybe we'd just rest on a little island but then, a cannon ball came flying right from this ship!"

Luffy and Usopp jaws dropped in shock.

Lia walked up to Johnny. "We're really sorry. We weren't aware that there were people on that island. We thought it was deserted and we used for target practice. Again we're sorry."

Luffy and Usopp frantically nodded, agreeing with her. "Yeah! We're very sorry!" They both bowed apologetically.

"Sorry isn't good enough," Johnny told them. They freaked.

"Wait a minute." They all looked at Lia. She went up to Yosaku and knelt down beside his head. She pulled out his tongue and slightly lifted up his eye lid.

As she observed, Nami shook her head. "So dumb," Nami insulted.

"Definitely," Prilla agreed.

"Watch it!" Zoro snapped.

"I'm sorry Zoro but they have the right to say that," Lia said.

"Huh?!" He and Johnny seethed.

Lia turned to Prilla. "Prill, could you go get the the citrus elixir from the green house?" she asked.

Prilla playfully saluted. "On it Li." And she ran off to the glass hut.

"It's 'scurvy' isn't it?" Nami asked Lia, and the pinkette nodded.

"Yep, fortunately if we're not too late he should be fine once he gets some citrus juice in his system," she explained.

Johnny got up in Lia's face with a giant smile. "Really Big Sis?! Really?! Oh thank you Big Sis?!" he thanked while spraying it in her face, literately. Lia did her absolute best to keep it together after being spit on.

"Don't mention it," she replied roughly, leaning away.

Nami nodded, then turned to Luffy and Usopp, who were just standing there in tears. "Luffy, Usopp. Until Prilla gets back, we have some limes in the storage. Go get them," she demanded.

However they just stood there, still crying.

"Didn't you hear me?! Go get them here now!" she barked, making them jump and get stuck in the door way. When they came back, they started to squeeze the lime juice in Yosaku's mouth. Lia, Nami, Johnny and Zoro stood off to the side as they did.

"Your partner has 'Scurvy'," Lia started to explain.

"Scurvy?" Johnny questioned.

Lia nodded. "Yes, years ago it was just a common, hopeless disease that plagued sailors in the seas. But now it's no longer an issue since it's easily treatable. Scurvy is caused by the simple deficiency of plant nutrients, mainly vitamin C and others," she explained

Nami added more to the subject. "She's right. Back in the old days sailors couldn't carry fresh fruit and vegetables because they couldn't be able to store them. Thankfully we know better now."

By now the boys were practically stuffing the limes in Yosaku's mouth.

 _'Are they trying to suffocate him?'_ Lia sweat-dropped.

Luffy turned to girls in awe. "You two are smart. You're like a doctor," he said.

"Are you serious?" Li's brow twitched.

Usopp smiled as he shrugged. "Well, now. How about that? I was right. They aren't dumb."

 _'Are they really not noticing him choking right now?'_ Lia sweat-dropped even more as she saw Yosaku choking on the limes lodged in his maw.

"Nope they're smart as a tack," Luffy stated.

Nami just about had it. "You guys are morons! Every sailor should know about 'Scurvy'! It shouldn't be just me and the girls!" she barked showing fangs.

"For real you guys, it's basically one of the first survival lessons you learn about sailing. How is it none of you have?" Lia scolded. The boys just looked at them blankly, not answering. Zoro just looked away, too embarrassed to answer that, especially to Lia.

Just then, lime chunks erupted into the air and Yosaku got up. Looking, somehow, better. Suddenly he and Johnny were frolicking on the dock in joy. "Hurray, Hurray!" they kept repeating.

 _'Okay...That happened,'_ Lia sweat-dropped making a deadpanned expression.

"The nutrients cured me!" "You're all better!" the two cheered.

"YOU CAN'T HEAL THAT QUICKLY!" Nami roared.

"Were they this obnoxious before?" Lia asked Zoro next to her.

He just shrugged. "Don't know, never really payed attention then." Lia sweat-dropped at his answer.

The two men stopped cheering and stood before the group. Lia was able to get a better look at Yosaku now. He was shaved bald and wore a strange red head gear with a metal plate on it. He also wore a black shirt and yellow shorts, green trench coat and brown boots.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves," they both said.

"My name is Johnny," Johnny said resting his face on his fist.

"And I'm Yosaku," his partner said, holding his head with his hand with a cigarette. "Together we're the baddest pirate bounty hunting duo in the world."

 _'They sure are confident of themselves,'_ Lia retorted in her head.

"Big Bro Zoro there used to be one of us," Johnny said.

"Glad to make your acquaintance," Yosaku added.

"Well it is nice to meet you," Lia politely greeted back. Zoro huffed a smile as he walked up to the two.

"Small world, never thought I'd see you guys again," he stated.

Johnny huffed too. "Well if you think you're surprised..."

"We never imagined the 'Pirate Hunter Zoro' would become a pirate himself," Yosuke finished.

Zoro laughed a bit. "Tell me about it. But, in all honesty, I'm alright with it now," he exclaimed, taking a slight glance at Lia behind him. He held his hand out to the duo.

Johnny happily took it. "Big Bro," he said. When Yosaku tried to bring his hand to join, he paled again and fell forward, going back to the same condition he was before. "Duh, Hey partner?" Johnny stuttered.

"Boy are you guys stupid," said a voice. Everyone turned to see Prilla holding a odd shaped green bottle with and orange liquid in it.

"Perfect timing Prill."

"Thanks Li." Prilla grinned, tossing the bottle to her sister. Lia caught it then turned to Zoro and Johnny.

"Let's get him into the cabin, he needs his rest," she said. They nodded and carefully brought the scurvy man inside.

Once they laid him down, Lia brought Yosaku's head up and poured the liquid from the bottle in his mouth. When he swallowed it, he fell asleep.

"A good night's rest should get him back to his spirited self some time tomorrow," Lia said.

Johnny bowed in thanks. "Much appreciated Big Sis...uh." He realized he didn't know Lia's name.

She giggled a bit. "Sorry, forgot to introduce myself. Lianara, but you can just call me Lia," she told him holding her hand out. Johnny happily shook it. "Now if you boys will excuse me, I'll be in the dinning cabin with the others," she said, then left.

Johnny leaned over to Zoro. "Hey Big Bro?"

"Yeah."

"The last time we saw you, didn't you once say that you were looking for a gal named Lia?" the bounty hunter asked.

Zoro huffed a grin. "Yep." He looked at the direction Lia left. "And I still haven't told her how I feel about her," he admitted.

"You guys just recruited her right?" Johnny asked. Zoro nodded. "My advice, don't rush into it. But do it before-"

"Some other wise guy comes into the picture. I know," Zoro cut him off.

"If anything," Johnny started. Zoro looked at him. "I think she feels the same way about you." Zoro looked away, but smiled. Back at the cabin, everyone was quiet, except Luffy who was munching on bread.

Nami broke the silence. "Let this be a lesson to you guys," she beefed.

Lia nodded. "I agree with her."

"Yeah, this is the kind of trouble you run into when you choose the life in the sea," Zoro added.

"Which means, when we're at sea, we really need to think about how we're gonna get the right amount of nutrients with very little food. And not all of the plants, fruits, and veggies are gonna help us with that. No offence Lia," Usopp defended to her.

The woman shook her head. "No you're right on the mark Usopp. It's pretty obvious that the next recruit we get on the ship needs to be experienced and have the knowledge of how to do that," Lia pointed out.

"Right, and knows to avoid _certain_ food that _we_ can't eat. Especially the ones you mostly have in you green house," Nami added, emphasizing some words.

Luffy ate on, until he mumbled something with food in his mouth. "It's necessary..." He swallowed. "Right! This ship needs a cook!" he figured.

 _'No really? What gave you that idea?'_ Lia and Prilla both thought sarcastically.

Luffy stood up and announced, "Lets go find ourselves a cook!" Nami and Usopp looked at him. Then Usopp stood up.

"I'm in, good idea. We'll have yummy food even when we're out on the sea," he exclaimed.

"That's right you got it!" Luffy laughed sticking his tongue out, excited at the thought.

Johnny jumped in to the subject. "A cook huh? I know just the place and the food there is gonna blow your mind."

"Not literally I hope," Lia joked. Prilla and Luffy laughed. So did Johnny when he told them 'no'.

Luffy excitedly grinned. "Alright let's go! Where to?" he asked.

Johnny started walking towards Zoro as he said, "Consider yourselves warned though. This place is close to the 'Grand Line'." He stopped in front of the swordsman. "And I've heard a lot of rumors lately, that a certain 'Hawk eyed' man you're looking for is there."

Zoro clutched his white sword with a tense grin.

 _'Hawk eyed' man? He couldn't mean...'_ Lia hoped in her head.

"Alright then. Set a course, North-North east!"

Everyone made a determine face, almost like a new adventure was approaching.

"Also," They all looked at Johnny odd look. "Can someone please tell me what's in that corner?! Those eye balls are creeping me out!" he shouted, pointing at the corner of the cabin. When the crew looked, Usopp jumped on the table like a frighten child.

Lia gave an aggravated sigh. "Sakura, enough with that. Johnny is a friend of Zoro's and he's harmless, like a child."

"Hey!" he sneered. They all heard a grunt, and what came out of the corner was not what Johnny was expecting. "Is that a Dragon?!" he shouted.

Luffy laughed, "Better believe it!"

"But, but, how?" he stuttered.

"Hey Johnny can I ask you something?" The said man looked at Prilla.

"Yeah." He eyed her suspiciously.

"Do you believe in magic?"

He nodded.

"Do you believe in fairies?" Lia asked.

"Well yeah. I mean I've never meet or seen one but, I've heard the story of them with Gold Roger. Does that count?" Johnny asked.

Lia smiled as she walked over to Prilla's side. "Yes, but you can cross out the 'never seen or meet them' part because you and Yosaku just meet some today."

Johnny was totally confused as he tilted his head.

"Help him out Lia, he's lost," Nami told her slightly annoyed.

"Care to do the honors with me Prilla?"

"You bet Li." With that the two sisters unfurled their wings in front of Johnny and everyone.

Johnny's jaw dropped, literally. The others just smiled.

"Not matter how many times they do that it never gets old," Usopp said.

"Nope, it doesn't," Luffy snickered.

"If you're still not convinced, you wanna check out our green house?" Prilla asked with a smile on her face.

 _'Watch it Prill, we don't need any mischief from you,'_ Lia warned in her thoughts while elbowing her sister.

"Uh? Sure," Johnny said hesitantly.

As the crew went over to the green house; "Uhhhh, you sure it's a green house? Looks more of a small glass hut to me," Johnny stated.

"Oh just wait~! You about to have a totally different outlook of it," Prilla sang. Lia smiled and when she opened the door, Johnny was speechless.

"Believe me, Zoro and I had the same expression," Nami quipped. Everyone walked inside. Luffy, Prilla and Usopp started to run around.

"Don't touch anything you got it?!" Lia shouted.

"Got it!" they yelled back.

"It's still hard to wrap my head around this, I mean I never thought I'd meet real fairies and witness their abilities first hand," Johnny said, observing the place. Lia and the others just looked around. As they did, Zoro noticed something.

"Is that where you two been sleeping?" he asked as he pointed in a direction.

"Yep. That's our little bedroom hut," Lia answered. As they walked over, they found that it was a nice 'out of the way' glass hut with a carpeted floor. A glass table was at one corner that had two basket woven chairs. The bed on the right was obviously Lia's, to the left was...

"Is that a Hammock?" Nami asked.

"Hammock? I thought it was a hanging bed," Johnny assumed.

"It's both, actually," Lia told them. "Prill wanted a bed that mad her feel like she was floating in her dreams. In my opinion, it's better then her sleep-flying."

"Sleep-flying?" the trio questioned.

Lia turned to face them. "Yeah, you know how some people walk or talk in their sleep? Well for some fairies or Fae, they tend to fly in their sleep," she explained.

Then Nami asked, "Did Prilla have that?"

"Once, when she was six. Yeah, she flew and woke up in a four story tree. Took a good long while to get her down," Lia sighed, not enjoying the memory.

"Hey Lia!" they heard Luffy call out. They went over to where he and the other two were. They were in front of a wooden door that was in a brick wall covered in plant life.

"What's behind this door?" Luffy asked.

"A very important room. And if any of you so much as touch _anything_ in there, I will personally make sure you will not walk out the same way you've walked in," Lia threatened, as she walked over to unlock the door. Everyone felt a shiver when she said that.

"She's not kidding." They all turned to Prilla. "One time our brother Terence rearranged her stuff in there. She made him be blue for three weeks."

"Why would she make him so sad?" Luffy asked. Everyone sweat dropped at his question.

"Not blue like the feeling Luffy. Blue like the color. From head to toe, from teeth to nails. He was entirely blue for three weeks," Prilla corrected him.

"Remind me never get on her bad side," Usopp muttered. The others nodded their heads in agreement.

"Alright, you guys can have a look. But don't touch anything," Lia said, opening the door. The inside dazzled the group.

 _(Ignore the little girl and pretend the stairs are the door)_

"Whoa!" awed the boys.

"Let me guess, your potions lab?" Zoro assumed.

"And spell casting. This is where Prilla and I will be making our potions, elixirs, and brews. We also practice our spells and magic here," Lia informed.

"Yeah, with all this, I can see why your so strict about it."

"Oh yeah," Johnny agreed with Nami.

"What's this thing?" They heard Usopp ask.

They turned around to see him standing next to a small table that had only one thing on it. It was a big glass orb held by a leafy jeweled stand.

"Please don't mess with that Usopp, it is very fragile," Lia quickly stated. Usopp brought his hands back and stepped away from it. "That's our communications orb. It allows us to talk with our parents and friends in different locations," she explained.

"Like a transponder-snail?" Johnny thought out loud.

"Yes," Lia confirmed.

Then, everyone heard little bell chimes in the air.

"Awww man," Prilla complained.

"You know it's time Prill," Lia said putting her hands on her hips.

"Time for what?" Luffy asked.

"I take it it's Prilla's bed time?" Nami playfully guessed.

"Yep," Lia said, popping the 'p.

"Can't I stay up longer?" Prilla whined.

"If you did that, then you'll end up sleeping through a half the day," Usopp jumped in.

"And~," Lia bent over to her sister. "You'll miss your special breakfast~," she sang.

"Will you be making my favorite?" her sister asked.

"What do you think?" she asked back.

Prilla squealed in joy then ran off. "Be sure to have a song ready Li!" Prilla called out.

"Special breakfast?" everyone questioned.

"Yes, her birthday is tomorrow and traditionally my family will have a special breakfast made for our birthday," Lia said to them.

"She'll be turning eleven right?" Lia nodded to the sniper.

"Li! Where are you I'm ready!" they heard Prilla yell.

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Sheesh," Lia complained walking over to the bedroom hut.

Everyone thought it was a little amusing to see the girls like that. Back at the hut, Prilla was all ready for bed as she sat in her hammock bed.

"Alright." Lia sat down on her bed. Everyone waited just outside of the hut. "What do you want to listen to tonight?" she asked her sister.

"Hmmm?" Prilla thought about it for a minute, then said, "The one you sang about Thaylim."

That threw Lia off guard for a second, but she smiled in the end. "Haven't sung that one in a long time. Alright." Lia cleared her throat, and snapped her fingers. When she did that, music began to play and she began to sing.

 _(If you're familiar with this song, just pretend she says 'Brother's wings' instead of 'Father's wings')_

If you were with me now,  
I'd find myself in you~  
If you were with me now,  
Your the only one who knew~  
All the things we planned to do~

I want to live my life,  
The way you said I would~  
With courage as my light,  
Fighting for what's right  
Like you made me believe I could~

And I will fly on my brother's wings~  
To places I have never been.  
There is so much I've never seen~  
And I can feel ~ his heartbeat still,  
And I will do great things~  
On my brother's wings~

This world I'll never see~  
My dreams that just won't be.  
This horse's stride~  
With one day's ride,  
Will have covered more  
Distance than me~

But I will fly on my brother's wings,  
To places I have never been~  
There is so much I've never seen,  
And I can feel ~ his heartbeat still,  
And I will do great things~  
On my brother's wings~

Someday ~ with his spirit to guide me~  
And his memory beside me~  
I will be free!

To fly on my brother's wings~  
To places I have never been.  
There is so much I've never seen~  
And I can feel ~ his heartbeat still,  
And I will do great things~  
On my brother's wings~  
On my brother's wings~

When Lia was finished singing, she saw Prilla laying in her bed asleep. The group outside watched her tuck her sister in. They smiled at the scene.

"The more I hear about their brother, the more I wish I had met him," Usopp said, cutting off the silence. The others nodded in agreement.

"Thaylim. I think Partner and I heard that name before. But not in a good way," Johnny brought up.

"What do you mean?" Nami asked.

"About a year ago we heard from some gossiping marines that a well known man named 'Thaylim' was killed some where in the 'Grand Line' in fair folk territory. Kept going on and on about how good of a man he was and wished him a better passing," he explained.

"That's definitely their brother," Zoro quipped. "He was known for his compassion and bright personality. But what was it that killed him?" he wondered.

"I don't know Big Bro, all I heard was that he faced something so terrifying that no other living being has a chance of surviving," Johnny said grimly. Usopp and Nami paled. Where as Luffy and Zoro had solemn, down cast looks.

"Umm." They turned to Usopp. "Do you think, that what ever got Thaylim, will come after Lia?"

"That's unlikely." Everyone jumped when Lia just appeared next to them.

"Don't scare us like that," Usopp seethed at her.

"Let's take this outside," she told them. Once everyone was, Lia closed the door and faced everyone. "Alright, I'm gonna explain this once so that you have a better understanding, got it?" They all nodded, except for Johnny who went back to the cabin to rest up.

"Okay, as you're already aware, the world of magic is unpredictable and mysterious. We Fae try to keep a good balance of light magic and black. And I'm sure that from stories you've heard, black magic is something not to be taken lightly. Well, what Thaylim faced was on the dark side and that's what did him in. So what I'm saying is, now that you're aware that magic and fairies exist, you need to be extra cautious, because the dangers in the 'Grand Line' would look like child's play compared to the dangers the fair folk face there."

When Lia finished, the crew was even more tense than before.

"Lia." The woman turned to Zoro. "You said before that the thing that killed your brother was unlikely to come after you next. Can you tell us why?" he asked.

"*Sigh* What I can tell you is that the creature was banished on the island where the whole thing happened by my father. And knowing him like I do, he put up a strong barrier on that island to ensure it never leaves. You'd be surprise that even though black magic is strong, pure light fairy magic is stronger," Lia explained.

Then Lia looked up to the moon. "It's getting late, and we have a cook to recruit tomorrow. See you guys in the morning." She waved them 'goodnight'.

"Night," the crew waved back. As she went into the greenhouse, the crew stood there in silence.

"I've made up my mind." Zoro, Nami and Usopp turned to Luffy. He had his hat shadowing his eyes. "We're gonna make sure that Lia becomes the best fairy ruler no matter what gets in our way," he declared holding out his fist.

"I'm with you there Luffy," Zoro agreed, holding his fist out with Luffy's.

"I won't be considered a 'brave warrior of the sea' if I don't face magical dangers too. Count me in." Usopp did the same.

The three looked at Nami.

"She has a heavy weight on her shoulders and I know how it feels to lose someone important to you." She brought her fist out too. "I'm in too." They all smiled.

"With this promise, not even the mystery beast can stop us from helping Lia," Luffy said.

Then they all shot their fists up to the night sky. "Yeah!"

 **To Be Continued...**

 ** _ **'Sorry if it's to long, but I hope you all enjoyed it! Please comment your thoughts or vote and see you on the next voyage!'**_**


	10. Voyage 8

Morning finally came, and Lia was the first one to wake up. She looked to the side to see that her sister was still asleep. Lia quickly and quietly got out of her bed and left the greenhouse. Once she was outside, she went over into the galley and towards the girls quarters to find Nami soundly sleeping. Lia gently laid her hand on the woman's shoulder.

"Nami? Hey, Nami wake up please," she pleaded in a whisper. The orangette slowly opened her eyes, got up and yawned.

"What time is it?" she asked.

Lia smiled. "It's time for everyone to wake up. But other than that, how would you like to participate in a Fae birthday tradition?" she asked the woman with slight excitement.

Nami looked at her for a minute then grinned. "Sure, sounds like fun." With that the two returned to the greenhouse, near the sleeping hut. Lia saw Sakura place a chair in the path and two instruments to the side.

"Always one step ahead Sakura," Lia praised. The dragon stood proud. "Now hurry and change form so we can start," she told the magical reptile.

Sakura nodded. Suddenly she was engulfed in light and her form changed. Nami squinted her eyes a bit due to the brightness. Once the light was gone, Nami's jaw hit the ground. There, where the dragon had once stood, was a tall, lean and gorgeous woman.

She had pale skin with a hint of a green tint. Gold bracelets wrapped around half of her arms and legs. She had green hair with cheery blossoms in it framing her golden slit eyes. She wore a yellow dress that opened to the side to show off her legs and was also decorated with cheery flowers near the bottom. The woman wore no shoes. But what really stood out was her horns on her head.

"What the? How did?" Nami was lost for words.

"Some magical creatures, such as dragons, can have the ability to change into the form of a human. Because it makes things easier for them that way," Lia explained.

"Oh I see," Nami said. After that, Lia told them to be quiet as they entered the hut and surrounded Prilla in her hammock-bed. Once the women were in place, Lia began to sing.

~Today it is your Birthday and we sing to let you know~

Prilla began to wake up, then she sat up straight and smiled at her sister.

~That you will be Queen for the day, whatever you say goes~

Then the women and the child laughed. "Happy birthday Prill," Lia said happily. Prilla smiled even more as she got out of her bed and sat in the chair Sakura had set up. Then the two instruments that had been put to the side floated in the air and played a melody. _(In case anyone is wondering, the instruments are a harp and a flute)._ The three woman circled Prilla and had baskets with flower petals inside. As the music played, they danced around the girl.

~We spin for your kindness, and sachet for your pristine, We pirouette for your gracious then we bow before the Queen!~

The women sang and danced as they threw the petals in the air above the girl's head. Prilla laughed as they fell on her head. Izzy sneezed one off. Then the three placed their hands above Prilla as she danced in the center.

~We sing because we love you and we sing to let you know~ That you will be Queen for the day-

They were suddenly interrupted by Luffy and Usopp falling in through the door. Zoro and Johnny just stood there. "You morons," Zoro growled at the fallen two. Lia and Prilla sweat-dropped as they laughed. Sakura just looked at them dully, and Nami irked in annoyance while folding her arms.

"Way to ruin the moment guys," she huffed.

Usopp nervously laughed as he rubbed his head. "He, He, well, um, we heard some tunes playing in here and we couldn't help but wonder what it was about," he explained. Then when he and Luffy looked up, the first thing they noticed was a new face. "Also who's the woman with the horns?" he asked.

Luffy just kept staring at the woman. Sakura sweat-dropped even more, feeling uncomfortable with his prolonging stare. When he noticed the cheery blossom covered horns and the reptile-like eyes, it finally came to him. He pulled out his hand to greet her. "Oh. Hey Sakura," he waved.

" **Sakura?!** " The three other men gasped.

 _'Surprised he was the one who noticed.'_ The sisters sweat-dropped.

Zoro, Johnny and Usopp faced the horned woman. In their minds they pictured a scaly dragon, that soon faded into the woman in front of them. Lia quickly explained to them and they sighed.

"I guess this is one of the things we need to suspect coming when walking in the reality of the magical world," Zoro stated.

"I told you before." Lia said.

The boys went up to Prilla. "At any rate, happy birthday Prilla," Usopp said to her.

"Yeah." Luffy ruffled her hair. "Sorry we don't have anything for you," he apologized.

Prilla shook her head. "It's fine, this many people wishing me the best is good enough for me," she replied. Then a coy look appeared on her face. "Although..."

"What?" asked the boys.

"If you really want to give me a good birthday present... You'd let me wear your hat 'til we reach our destination," she proclaimed. Luffy went gobsmacked. She was daring to wear _his hat_.

"No-" He was elbowed by Usopp.

"It's her birthday, bedsides it's just for a little while. It's not gonna kill you."

Luffy grumbled childishly, then gave in. "Fine," he mumbled, putting his hat on the little girl.

"Te, he, yes!" she quietly cheered, and started to do a little dance. Luffy folded his arms as he pouted. Lia walked up to him and gave him a grateful smile.

"Thank you Luffy, and I promise you Prill will take good care of it for the time being," she assured him. "Besides, Shanks did the same for her one time," she added.

That brightened him up. "Really!?"

Lia nodded. "Yep, I guess you could say you're well on your way to being as good a man as he is. Maybe even better," she said to him. Luffy smiled brighter with pride as he walked off. Zoro walked up to Lia and whispered to her ear.

"You think it's a good idea to boost his ego more like that?" he questioned sincerely.

Lia winked at him. "Don't worry, by using his role model as motivation, it should help to get him to be more mature. Or the very least act like a captain of this ship." She then looked over to the said person with her sister. "Besides, I have a feeling we'll be need that maturity sometime in the future." She deadpanned.

Zoro looked to where she was looking, then gave an aggravated sigh. "I see your point." Later the crew headed to the galley. When they entered they found the cooking utensils and breakfast ingredients flying in mid air, making breakfast on their own.

Everyone but Luffy was dumbfounded.

"What."

"The."

"Awesome!" Usopp and Johnny looked at Luffy blankly.

"Yeah, I already took the liberty of making breakfast with my magic. That way I could do the traditional 'wake up' for Prilla," Lia explained.

The crew went to the already set table. "So um, what you making Lia?" Nami asked.

"Fluffy buttermilk pancakes with a hint of vanilla, topped with home made maple syrup and whipped cream," Lia told her. The boys, except Zoro, drooled.

"Just hearing that makes me more hungry than before," Usopp uttered.

Just then, Sakura came in _(as a dragon)_ with a basket of strawberries in her mouth and another basket filled with glossy round berries held by her tail. She placed them on the table. "Good thinking Sakura, fresh fruit to come with our pancakes is a nice combo," Lia complimented.

"Yeah, those strawberries look good," Nami implied.

"And they're my favorite!" Prilla beamed, popping one in her mouth.

"For sure, these red ones look pretty good too," Johnny stated, about to pop one in his mouth. The others realized what he had in his hand.

"Don't-!" Before they could warn him, a tongue sprung out and caught the berry right out of Johnny's fingers.

"What the?" He was confused. Everyone looked to see Izzy munching on the berry. The crew sighed in relief. "What's the matter?" Johnny asked.

"It's just, you were about to eat a 'Fae' berry," Usopp pointed out.

"So?"

"Fae berries or any kind of Fae foods can only be consumed by a Fae. If a human were to eat any, they would be cursed to only have those foods for the rest of their lives," Nami explained. Lia nodded in agreement.

"I see. Then I guess a dodged a bullet there huh?" Johnny joked, then he turned to Izzy. "Thanks for the save," he thanked the gecko. Izzy chirped in gratitude.

"Alright everyone." They all turned to Lia, who had plates of stacked pancakes in each hand. She then used her magic to make them float in front of the others and on to the table. "Bon appetite," she exclaimed. Everyone didn't hesitate to dig in.

There wasn't a moment where Lia wasn't given thanks from everyone, as they fawned over their deliciously sweet breakfast.

"hen ee et r ook Li, ev him is ecipe," Luffy mumbled with his mouth full. _(Translation- "When we get our cook Lia, give him this recipe.")_

"Don't talk with your mouth full," said Nami, Zoro, and Usopp dully. Lia, Prilla and Johnny sweat-dropped.

"Uh sure, I'll be sure to do that once we get him," Lia replied.

"You understood him?" Zoro turned to her, surprised that she got what the boy was saying.

"Thaylim had the knack for talking with his mouth full too when we were younger, and I ended up developing the skill of understanding what he meant," Lia told him, though looked like she wasn't quite fond of the skill.

"Hmm, never thought about using it again huh?" he guessed looking at their captain stuffing his face with food. Lia sighed as she sweat dropped at the same time.

"Doesn't look like I have a choice at this point," she drawled. Zoro placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Relax, we're all in the same boat, so might as well deal with it," he consoled.

"You're right," she agreed.

Later, everybody was readying the ship to set sail. Prilla was enjoying Luffy's hat so much that she put a bunch of flowers on it, making it look like a garden-hat. Luffy was okay with it, just as long as she didn't fill it to the point were it didn't look like his hat anymore.

Then something dawned on Prilla. "Hey Luffy," she called out.

"Yeah?"

"What did Nanny Willow give you and Usopp?" she asked.

Usopp, who had just walked over to join them, hummed at the thought. "You know, now that you mentioned it Prill, we didn't bother looking since we got it did we Luffy?" Luffy shook his head.

"Nuh ah," he said, pulling out the velvet sack. He smiled. "Why don't we check it out now?" he suggested, hopping off Merry's head to join the two on the dock. They formed a circle as Luffy placed whatever was inside the bag in the center of them.

"Whoa." "OOoooo!" Usopp and Luffy awed. For what was inside was a blue crystal lotus with a white center. The thing dazzled in the light.

"Oh nice guys. Nanny gave you two an 'Image Lotus'," Prilla informed them. The boys tilted their heads.

"An 'Image Lotus'?" they both questioned.

"It's an enchanted lotus crystal that stores your most memorable moments inside. Like a scrap book," she explained.

"Awe," they said.

"But how do you get the images in it?" Usopp asked.

"Simple, you take the center crystal out and point it at a scene you find most memorable, tap it twice and it will flash a light like a regular camera does. Then you just place back in the lotus, tap it twice again and it will show you the image you just took," she told him. This got them even more anxious.

"So, if you were to tap it twice now?" Usopp leaned over to the flower, and tapped it's center twice. The center crystal glowed and flashed a light out of it. The two boys jumped back in surprise. The light hovered over the flower, then turned into a screen that started to show an image.

The three leaned in closer to get a better look. Usopp made a face of bewilderment whereas Luffy started to smile and laughed in pure joy. The image they were seeing in front of them was an image of Shanks, Nanny Willow, and Yasopp smiling happily in front of an apple tree.

"Look Usopp, it's your papa," Prilla exclaimed happily.

"You're right, it is. Huh, I really do look like him," he stated seeing the resemblance in his father's face.

"Hey Look! Shanks is wearing the hat! And has both his arms!" Luffy shouted pointing at the picture.

"Both his arms?" Prilla and Usopp questioned. Luffy sweat-dropped and rubbed his head.

"Heh, heh kind of a long story," he told them.

"Anyway, from the looks of it. This was taken when Li and I first came to Serene Isle," Prilla guessed.

"Almost like it was destiny for you guys to find us." The three turned to find Lia coming up on the deck.

"How so Lia?" Usopp asked.

Lia thought about it for a bit then answered. "Well, think of it like this. Shanks is a captain himself and Yasopp is his sniper. Now Prill and I are sailing with you guys. Luffy's the captain and Usopp's the sniper. Both parties have the same roles and became best of friends. If Shanks and Yasopp saw you two now, I have no doubt that they'd be thrilled knowing you're just as good as friends as they are," Lia finished.

Both boys smiled at her answer, then at each other.

"Hey, I think I see something up ahead," Prilla told the group. They all looked over to where she was looking and soon the others joined them (excluding Yosaku).

"That would be our destination, which is..." said Johnny.

Once it came into view, the crew saw it was a 'fish shaped' ship that just floated in it's place. "The sea restaurant, Baratie!" he announced. Everyone stared at it in awe. Luffy and Usopp were drooling at the mouth. Prilla was jumping in excitement. "So, heh, what do ya think?" Johnny asked.

"A restaurant is perfect to look for a cook. But I've never heard of one in the middle of the ocean," Lia exclaimed, impressed.

Zoro huffed in amazement. "Didn't you get out much before living on Serene Isle?" he asked. Lia gave him a blank glare.

"I did, but I didn't have time to hang out and see what you humans have accomplished back then," she retorted back.

"Wow, it's a big fish!" said Luffy, which snapped the two back to the subject.

"How lovely," Nami complimented.

"This coolest place ever!" Usopp cheered.

"Just like I told ya right?" Johnny said.

Prilla just shrugged, "It's not that impressive, You guys should see the Fae restaurants in Albion Isles." But no one heard her.

Suddenly a horn was heard from near by. The girls then heard a surprised scream. They turned to see it was Yosaku hiding behind the galley's door. "What the?! A Marine ship?!"

 _'Looks like someone's all better,'_ Lia thought.

Prilla laughed, "Did you hear him Li? He screamed like a girl," she giggled. Lia didn't find it amusing, for she was focusing on the ship.

"All the way out here?!" Yosaku questioned.

"Why not? I mean, we have a sea restaurant out here. I'm sure passing marines come wanting to have a bite is a bit common too," Prilla figured. However, no one heard her statement as they watched as the ship came closer.

"Hey Luffy, they're not gonna start firing at us are they?" Usopp asked.

Zoro scoffed. "It's just my luck, of course the marines would show up."

"Don't jump to conclusions yet. If we play our cards right, they'll might leave us alone," Lia eased him.

"Emphasis on 'might' Li," Prilla quipped.

For some reason, Johnny secretly snuck away from the group.

"What's gotten him all nervous?" the girls questioned. Soon someone on the ship walked out for the crew to see.

"I've never seen that pirate flag before," the person said.

The person roughly placed his right hand down. Lia noticed his hand was covered in iron metal with iron screws on each knuckle. "Just looking at his hand makes mine hurt," she heard Prilla mutter. Lia agreed.

Then the man spoke out. "I am 'Iron fist' Fullbody. But you can just call me 'sir'. You there! Who is the captain of this ship?! Identify yourself!" he ordered. Even though no one was intimidated by him, Luffy still stepped up. And for some reason so did Usopp.

"My name is Luffy!"

"My name is Usopp, got it?!"

Luffy made a face of annoyance from how Usopp was still thinking of himself as the captain. But he quickly brushed it off. "We only made our flag the day before yesterday," he explained.

Then Usopp spoke out again. "That's right Marine! And I drew it!" Luffy got annoyed again.

"Usopp, quit while your ahead, before it's too late," Lia warned. Fullbody huffed a smile, like they were a joke.

"You did huh? Is that so?" he mused. Then he directed his gaze to Johnny and Yosaku. "Hey you two! Right there, I've seen you before. You're that bounty hunter duo that goes after the 'small fish' right?" he questioned.

"Ga well we-," Johnny stuttered.

"So you've managed to get caught by pirates? *Laughs* Now that's amusing," the metal hand man insulted them with a laugh.

Johnny and Yosaku shook in anger at the man. Then a woman appeared and wrapped her arms around Fullbody's. "Hey, come on baby lets get going," she urged.

"Sure," the man said. The two turned around and walked away from the crew, not paying any mind to them.

"Hey wait a minute! You think 'small time' bounty hunters would go after these guys!?" Johnny shrieked, as he threw a series of 'Wanted' posters in the air. However the man didn't pay him any attention at all, just kept on walking.

 _'Ladies man,'_ the girls grumbled in their thoughts.

Fullbody brought a hand out to his men. "They're an eye soar, sink them," he said, giving them a thumbs down.

"Say what?!" they yelled.

"You guys look! They're pointing that cannon straight at us!" Usopp cried out.

"What the heck!? You guys didn't do anything wrong, do these guys have a screw lose?!" Prilla yelled.

"Leave it to me! Now Gum Gum..." Luffy stretched his arms out grabbing the main mast and the figure head's horn. As the cannon shot at them, Luffy caught it with his stomach causing him to pull back over the dock.

"He really does stretch," Prilla lowly awed. Lia just stared in shock as well as the others. Zoro pulled Lia out of the way as Luffy was carrying the cannon ball.

"Sling-Shot!" shouted the rubber man.

But the excitement was short lived when Luffy's grip on the Merry's head went lose and he redirected the cannon ball at, "Luffy be carful! You're aiming that thing to the-" But Lia's warning was too late. Luffy slung the cannon ball over the top of the restaurant while he safely got caught by the figure head.

"That's not good," Prilla nervously sweat-dropped. Seeing the smoke emit out of the half damaged hut at the restaurant's top made Lia worry. Then once the ship was close enough to the restaurant, a few men dressed as cooks stormed out.

"Hey! Which one of you is responsible for this?!" One of them roared with an accusing finger.

Lia walked up on the deck to explain. "It's not what you think, you see-"

"It was my fault! I'm who your looking for!" Luffy interrupted her.

"Luffy!" Lia seethed.

In the blink of an eye, Luffy was dragged into the restaurant by angry chefs.

"That rubber headed idiot," Lia began to grumble. "If he had just let me explain to them what really happened."

"It wouldn't matter anyway Lia," Zoro cut her off.

Lia turned to him, seeing him leaning against the rails of the deck. Nami and Usopp were on either side of Merry's head, waiting to know what would become of Luffy. Lia sighed. "I know but still," she said to him.

"Could you pass me the other piece little sis Prill?" the two heard Johnny ask. They looked to the other side to see him and Yosaku fixing the railings from the other day. Prilla was sitting close to them, making sure they did it right.

"Here you go," Prilla handed him a piece.

As the two repaired the railing, Yosaku spoke up. "So, little sis Prill."

"Yeah?" Prilla looked at him.

"Is it true you and big sis Lia are fairies?" he asked. Prilla gave him her signature smile and unfurled her wings.

Yosaku jumped back in surprise. "Believe me partner, I had the same reaction," Johnny told him.

"So, so then. The stories of Avalon are real?" Yosaku stuttered.

Prilla laughed. "As real as the ocean itself~," she mused.

After a while, the group started to get bored. Lia sighed and clapped her hands together getting the others attention. "Well I'm done with the wait. Why don't we go ahead and grab a bite until we find out Luffy's sentencing," she suggested.

"I could go for some food," said Usopp.

"It's lunch time anyway," Nami added.

"Then it's settled." Lia turned to the bounty hunting duo. "Johnny, Yosaku," she called out.

"Yeah?" they responded.

"We're heading over to the restaurant, do you mind if we borrow your ship over there?" she asked.

"Not at all," Johnny said simply.

"We'll finish up here," Yosaku replied.

Lia nodded. "Alright, thank you. Come on Prill," she beckoned her sister. Prilla wasted no time flying over to them. She stood next to her sister with a smile.

"You do realize you can't show off your wings or magic while we're in there right?" Usopp implied to Prilla.

She huffed a grunt. "Duh, I'm not an idiot like some one we know. You think I'll just say it out of the blue and expect a reaction from the others?" she ranted at him.

Usopp sweat-dropped. "Eh, good point," he pipped.

As the group rowed to the restaurant, Lia started to hear a commotion inside. "Do you guys hear that?" she asked. The others looked at her, then they noticed the ruckus too.

"Yeah, you think Luffy's making more trouble?" Usopp wondered.

"I don't think so. It sounds like a mild argument with mild rough violence. And knowing Luffy for as long as we have, nothing is mild with him," Prilla pointed out.

The crew, including Lia, groaned in aggravation. "True," they agreed with her while getting out of the boat.

"If it was Luffy, this place would be in shambles by now," Zoro brought up as they walked up to the doors.

"Then add more to his debt," Lia added with a gloomy expression.

When the doors opened, Zoro stopped in his tracks, making the others do the same.

"Zoro what's-?" Lia didn't finish when she looked at the scene in front of them. The Marine they had seen earlier was dangling limply from a hand. Blood dripped from his face as the other man who was dressed in a black tux addressed him with an intimidating death glare.

"At sea, if you ever provoke your cook, you're signing your own death warrant. Remember that," the man threatened.

Prilla walked up to her sister and hid behind her as she whispered, "And I thought the cooks in the royal kitchen were strict."

Lia, who hadn't looked away from the whole thing, replied, "I think this is a different case Prill. There's a reason this guy is so dedicated to cooking food. A valid but dark reason. I have a feeling this is the start of a whole new chapter for us."

 **To Be Continued...….**

 ** **Hey-a! Sorry for the long wait, but here's chapter eight for you folks! I'm doing the best I can to bring more chapters for you guys, but I keep getting side-tract and been dealing with life and work. I hope you guys understand. All and all, see you in Voyage nine!****

 ** _ **Please comment**_**


	11. Voyage 9

As Lia and the others stood at the entrance of the ship, they heard a newcomer enter the scene. He was tall with shaved off blue hair and broad arms and chest. And had one heck of a chin too. "Oh No! Our customer!" he cried, seeing the tux man injuring Fullbody. "Damn it not again Sanji! What do you think you're doing to our customer, can't you see he's a marine lieutenant?!" the buff man ranted, pointing an accusing finger at the tux wearing one.

Sanji, still holding Fullbody in a death grip, turned to face the man. "You're a terrible cook. What makes you think you can talk to me like that?"

The said cook walked up to Sanji with a scowl. "Tuh, a crappy cook like you is calling me 'bad'?! Restaurants can't exist without their customers. Their our life blood, so we don't want to hurt them the way you seem to keep doing," he lectured.

Sanji turned to face Fullbody again. "But he deserved it. He didn't treat the food or me with respect, and he insulted all the cooks!" he growled, letting the marine go, making him fall to the floor. Fullbody coughed, getting air back into him. "So I simple taught him a lesson," Sanji finished.

"If I'm being honest here," Prilla spoke up to the others. They turned to her. "That guy deserved it," she said, pointing at Fullbody.

"I'm with you there Prilla. He did try to sink our ship for no reason," Usopp mentioned.

"Agreed, I almost feel sorry him. One minute he puts up an attempt to be intimidating the next, he's getting his face crippled by a cook," Lia stated.

Zoro huffed a chuckle. "I bet he's pretty embarrassed now. This sort of thing will put a big dent in his rep." Lia chuckled in agreement. Suddenly there was shouting and the sound of a struggle. The crew looked to see Sanji attempting to deal with Fullbody once and for all, but the other chefs wouldn't have it as they tried to restrain him.

Then, something or someone fell through the ceiling of the room. Everyone looked and saw that it was Luffy and another man who looked to be the head chef of the place. Usopp tisked at the scene. "Looks like he just caused more trouble for himself after all," he huffed. The crew nodded their heads in agreement.

"What happened?" "Are they okay?" the other customers questioned in worry.

"Boss Zeff what's happening here?! You didn't hurt yourself did you?!" one of the chefs asked. Zeff groaned as he held his head.

"Damn it." He looked up. "My ceiling! Another thing that's gonna have to get fixed because of you!" he ranted as Luffy put his hat back on. Then Zeff went up to his face and yelled, "This is all your fault you brat!"

"How is it my fault?! You attacked me!" Luffy yelled back.

"Boss! Can you stop messing around and give us a hand! Sanji's gone crazy again!" one of the chefs holding Sanji cried out. Zeff and Luffy turned to look at the riot. Zeff started to walk over there.

"Hey! Sanji! Don't tell me you went on another rampage in here you idiot!" Sanji stopped struggling with the chefs and faced Zeff.

"Put a cork in it old man!" he disputed.

"Oh, now you're ordering me around. Just who do you think your talking to?! You wanna sink my restaurant to the bottom of the sea?! You punk!" Zeff kicked him right in the face.

"For an old guy, he sure can kick. Even with a peg leg," Prilla whistled impressed.

"You can say that again Prill," Lia agreed.

"Yeesh, with all this, one would think this is a pirate ship instead of a restaurant," Nami irked.

"That may be Nami, but can you really blame them?" Lia probed. She and the others turned to her.

"What do you mean Lia?" Usopp asked her.

"Think about it. This place is close to the 'Grand Line', so not just aristocratic or mundane customers come and go here. Pirates and marines come and go here to. And given what we've seen, I'm guessing that the staff and cooks here don't tolerate those who disrespect their cooking. One should be grateful to have been given food at all," she explained.

"I think I get it." The crew faced Prilla. "Like the old saying, 'Don't bite the hand that feeds you.' No matter what kind of customer you are. Whether you be a pirate, marine, aristocrat, or commoner," she figured. The crew stared at the girls, intrigued how they were thinking of this.

Usopp placed his hands on his hips. "You two sure know how to justify reasons," he inputted.

The two just shrugged. "We know how to read things and people. And believe me when I say it'll come in handy in the future," Lia pointed out sternly.

They nodded to her. "With your experience of the 'Grand Line' and the magic world, I think it's safe to say that we're glad you're on our side," Nami said. The two men agreed with the navigator.

"Lieutenant Fullbody!" a marine cried out. Everyone in the restaurant turned at the entrance to see a wounded marine. "We've, we've got trouble! Sir he's escaped! Pirate Krieg's henchman attacked us and vanished!" he panicked.

All the other customers went pale in fear. "Impossible!? When we picked him up three day's ago, he was on the verge of starving to death! And we haven't fed him anything! Where did he get the strength?!" Fullbody questioned.

"Krieg pirate?!" one of the customers uttered.

"Who's Krieg?" Prilla whispered to one of the crew.

Nami turned to her. "Not surprised you guys don't know since you've been on Serene Isle. 'Commodore' Don Krieg is said to be the fiercest and most ruthless pirate in the East Blue. He's known for his barbaric strength and fleet of crewmen," she explained.

Prilla hummed at her explanation. "Something tells me he's more of an pompous egomaniac. All talk and no bite," she believed. All of a sudden, a gun shot went off and the marine fell forward, out like a light. And standing where he fell, was the shooter. Everyone in the restaurant fled to the sides, away from the man.

Lia stiffened and clenched her fists. _'Of course, there's gonna be someone who will kill or hurt people in cold blood with out a hint of hesitation.'_ Zoro saw this and looked at Lia in concern.

"Hey," he called out, grabbing her attention. Lia jumped slightly and faced him. "You alright?" he asked.

Lia let out a breath and unclenched her fists. "Yeah."

"You sure? You were kind of tense there," he pointed out.

Lia sighed, "It's just, those kind of people. Pirate or not, to hurt or kill someone without a second thought or care. Makes me sick," she hissed at the end.

Zoro continued to stare at her as they heard Prilla speak. "Maybe he wouldn't have to if those jerk headed marines had given him food in the first place." The two thought about what the girl had said, when suddenly they heard a crash.

They group looked to see the buff cook hammer the Krieg pirate down with just his bare fists, breaking the chair in the process. "That dumb a** Patty broke another chair," Prilla heard Zeff grumble.

"Sorry pirate. But our policy is to only serve paying customers," Patty rebuked.

"Money or not. That guy needs food, would it hurt to show a little mercy?" Prilla whispered to no one. As the group watched Patty beat up the pirate, Prilla and Lia noticed Sanji walk off to the kitchen.

As Patty tossed the man outside, Prilla looked her sister. "Li," she pipped.

"Go on, we'll get a table. When you're done make sure you look for us," Lia told her. With that, Lia walked up to one of the chefs. "Excuse me."

"Yes? Can I help you miss?" the chef asked.

"Sorry, I know you chefs have your hands full with everything that's occurred, but could you get us a table?" Lia asked him.

"Of course. How many are there of you and how will you pay?"

Lia took out a small pouch and handed it to him. "Will this be enough?"

The chef took the pouch in his hand and opened it. What he saw nearly made his eyes pop out. In the pouch were pure genuine sapphire stones, each probably worth five thousand berries. "Uh, thi- this is more then enough. But a bit of it is over the price," he told her.

"Consider the rest as payment for what that man did," Lia said, pointing.

The chef turned to who she was referring to and saw it was Luffy. "You're with that kid?" he grumbled.

Lia nodded. "Yes but don't tell him I've payed for his debt. He needs to learn to take responsibility one way or the other. Tell your manager he can teach him how ever he wants," she smirked.

 **-With Prilla-**

Prilla stood next to Luffy and watched as Sanji gave food to the starving man. At first he refused to eat it, but when Sanji spoke out his reasoning, the man started to scarf down the plate. Not leaving a single crumb. He ate in tears of relief and gratefulness.

Luffy laughed, "I think I just found my cook!"

Prilla smiled. "Definitely, he's earned the job," she replied.

"Yep!" Luffy then leaned down over the railing. "You're lucky he gave you some food! You weren't looking so good there. *Laughs* I thought you were a goner!" he laughed.

Prilla gave him a dead panned stare. "That's not something you laugh about." Luffy didn't listen as kept on talking.

"So listen Mr. Cook, why don't you leave this boat and join my crew? I could use a cook like you on my pirate ship!" Luffy finished. Sanji and the man stared at him, completely confused.

Luffy jumped down to join the two men. As he did he explained everything. "So you're a pirate?" Sanji questioned.

"Uh huh," Luffy confirmed.

"So is that why you went and did a crazy thing like shoot a cannon ball into the Restaurant?" he assumed.

"To be perfectly honest, that wasn't entirely his fault," Prilla jumped in.

"Yeah, it was an accident. It was self defense that turned into a stray shot," Luffy excused.

"A stray shot?" Sanji chuckled.

"Yep, the cannon ball was from the marine from earlier. He tried to sink our ship for no reason and Luffy just did what a good captain would do to deafened it. But as you can see it didn't turn out well in the end," Prilla concluded.

"Tuh, clearly," Sanji mused. "In any case you really don't wanna do anything stupid to this place. The owner used to be a cook for a famous pirate fleet," Sanji stated to Luffy.

That impressed Luffy a bit. "So the old man used to be a pirate."

"Given his attitude, that's not surprising to me. Especially after seeing what goes on here," Prilla said.

"Exactly, this place is all that he has and the only treasure in his life and the rest of it. He defends it how ever he can, and the other cooks who work here with respect and admiration for him do the same. He and them are just as hot headed as any pirate who comes here. Which helps since pirates and other scums are coming and going here," Sanji explained.

"He, Yeah I noticed that. This a really wild restaurant," Luffy mused.

"Is it a regular thing? Like twenty-four seven regular?" Prilla asked.

"Yep, it's like that everyday. The customers now just come here to watch the cooks fight off the pirates that come here. Because of it, all the waiters we had working here got scared and bailed," Sanji told her.

"Whimps," Prilla huffed.

Luffy clapped his feet together. "Oh so that's why the old man wanted me to work for him for a year," he assumed.

Prilla gawked at him. _'A year!? Are you serious Luffy?!'_ she freaked.

Luffy didn't see her disturbed expression and turned to Sanji. "So you joining me pirate crew or what?" he asked a bit excited.

However with Sanji; "I'm sorry but I can't."

"Why not? We're not like those pirates who you beat up," Prilla said a bit disappointed.

Sanji turned to her with a smile. "It's not that little princess. You see there's a reason I work here at the restaurant. So I can't just walk away from it," he explained.

Prilla sighed, thinking she figured out why. "Is it for a debt or something?"

"Something like that, yes." he answered.

Then Luffy bent forward in Sanji's face. "No way! I don't accept!" he announced. Prilla and Sanji were confused.

"What?! You don't accept?" Sanji questioned.

Luffy sat up with his arms crossed. "It's very simple. I refuse to accept your refusal. You're a good cook and I need one so it's obvious we should be pirates together."

Prilla deadpanned. "That's not how you should settle your responses Luffy."

Sanji agreed and told Luffy he couldn't leave. Luffy still didn't listen, then the whole thing turned to be an argument. Until; "Excuse me. Sorry to interrupted," said the Krieg pirate guy (who had been there the whole time).

The boys turned to him with a scowl. "What is it?!" they yelled.

"My name is Gin, I'm a crew member of Don Krieg's pirate fleet," he introduced. Then Gin started to talk to Luffy. "You say that you're a pirate yourself. What is it you seek?" he asked.

Luffy smiled. "Oh the 'One Piece' and the island of 'Avalon'! And pretty soon, I'm gonna sail the 'Grand Line' and find them both!"

Gin was shocked by his answer. "Well you can't be seeking them for long. If you don't have a cook yet, your crew can't be all that big," he stated.

"No, he's only the seventh member," Luffy replied, pointing to Sanji.

The cook seethed at him. "I told you I'm not going so don't count me!" he yelled.

"Seventh?" Prilla tilted her head. _'He must be counting Sakura too,'_ she thought.

"Look, you seem like a nice kid so let me give you some friendly advice. The 'Grand Line' is a place you want to avoid. Since you're still young, there's no need to rush into it or anything else. Remember, the 'Grand Line' is one small part of the world's entire ocean. If you want to be a real pirate, there are plenty of other places to explore," Gin told Luffy.

Luffy hummed at that. "I see, well why don't you just tell me what to avoid in the 'Grand Line' now?" he questioned.

Gin started to sweat in fear. "I can't. I don't know anything. I don't understand it, and that is why I fear it," he shuttered. Prilla just stared at him, thinking.

"For being a crew member of Don Krieg's your a pretty wimpy pirate," Sanji retorted.

"Who's Don Krieg?" Luffy asked.

"Don't worry about it Luffy," Prilla said to him, then she turned to Gin. "Gin, it's normal for people like you to be scared of the 'Grand Line'. It's the most unpredictable part of the world. There's no map or chart of it, the weather is out of whack, the currents are constantly changing, and there's no telling where to sense a new threat. The 'Grand Line' is a place where you need to be prepared for anything and hope for the best. Cause sometimes what you hear from stories can be real there."

All three men stared at Prilla in bewilderment and shock. Luffy had just listened plainly. Sanji was impressed to hear such wise words from a little girl. And Gin; "You, you speak as if you've been there," he assumed. Prilla smiled at him with innocence and mischief.

"More then that, I lived there." Both Sanji and Gin were shocked from that answer.

"But... How?! You're just a child!" Gin accused. Prilla huffed a glare at him.

Luffy on the other hand; "It's true, she and her sister were sent here to the 'East Blue' by their parents for training. But I don't worry about them. They're stronger than they look." He smiled.

"That's not the point you idiot! How could an innocent little girl and her sister go through the 'Grand Line' like it's the simplest thing?! It's down right impossible!" Sanji freakishly ranted at him. Prilla got up and started to head in side.

"I'll tell you guys 'why' with this." The men stared at her. Prilla turned around and smiled at them, and asked,

"Do you guys... Believe in Fairies?"

With that, she went inside the restaurant. As the two men, along with a ginning Luffy, stared at where she had gone, they were unaware that someone above them had been watching them the whole time. "Heh, who would have thought that brat could have recruited one of the Fae princesses," huffed Zeff. "I thought that mark on her arm looked familiar," he said

As Prilla came back inside, she looked for her sister and the others. "Where's their table?" she wondered.

"Prilla! Over here!" she heard Usopp's voice call out. She looked around and spotted him waving at her. She went over and found the rest of the group with him, having plates full of yummy looking food.

"Where did you run off to?" Nami asked her as she sat next to her sister and Zoro.

"Went to see what happened to that pirate guy. Oh, found out that Luffy was sentenced to work here for a whole year," she answered. Nami and Usopp groaned in aggravation.

"You've gotta be kidding?" said Usopp.

Prilla shook her head. "Nope."

Lia didn't bat an eyelash. "Given how this place is run, I wouldn't be surprised," she implied.

Nami turned to her. "Didn't you pay for his debt anyway Lia?" Lia faced her and smiled coyly.

"Yes, but I curious to see how he deals with taking responsibility first and how long he'll last. If he's off the hook less then a year, then I'll tell him," she giggled at the end, making Usopp shiver.

"Sometimes you're scary, you know that?" he accused her. Lia just shrugged it off.

"I'm guessing less than a week. They gave him the job as a 'chore boy'. No doubt he'll be making more of a mess than keep the place clean," Prilla mused with a small laugh.

Nami stared her down. "You two seem to like messing with people," she assumed. Both girls turned to her with a blank look at first then smiled.

"Of course, causing mischief and tricks are a common hobby for Fae. It amuses us how some humans are so gullible and easy to fool, that we just can't help but mess with them," Lia happily exclaimed.

Prilla started to giggle. "Yeah, we even have our own Holiday called 'Fools Day'."

That got Usopp's attention. "Fools day? Is it like a day where you get to get away with any kind of prank or something?" he asked.

Prilla nodded to him, "Yep, it's one of my favorite holidays." Suddenly she felt a chill down her spine, she looked to see her sister giving her a hard glare. "Wh-what's up Li?" she asked in a quivering tone.

"Be sure you don't pull the same prank on me this year as you did the last with Chester and Lester. Got it?" Lia threatened at the end.

Prilla nodded vigorously. "Got it! Definitely got it!"

The rest of crew sweat-dropped. _'What was that about?'_ they wondered.

Usopp leaned over behind Zoro and whispered to Prilla, "Who's Chester and Lester?"

Prilla leaned over to him slightly gloomed. "They're jesters of the royal court. They're practically the masters of fools," Prilla whispered back.

"What did you guys do to prank Lia last year?" Zoro asked coming into the conversation.

Prilla nervously sweat-dropped. "Well... We put dozens of fake toy spiders on her bed one time, while she was sleeping. And when she woke up and found them..." she shivered in fear and discomfort. "Let's just say we don't use fake spiders on her any more. Or at the very least, prank her with one of the things she despises the most."

"Yyyyyeaaaah, pranking someone with something they fear or hate is not the brightest idea," Usopp drawled.

Prilla nodded reluctantly. "I learned that one the hard way." Then, Prilla snapped her gaze up the spiral staircase, then mad a coy grin. "Guys here he comes!" she alerted them.

They all looked to see Luffy coming down. Smug smiles grew on their faces. "These chores sure are boring. I wonder if Coby got tired of all this work too," Prilla heard Luffy mutter.

 _'I wonder who Coby is?'_

Then Nami waved her hand. "Chore Boy!"

Luffy turned to them, then leaned over the railings in disbelief. "Uhg! Whata you doing!?"

Usopp replied, "We heard you had to work here for a whole year." He sniggered.

"Though I doubt you're doing a good job of that," Prilla joined him.

"Is it okay if we redraw the flag for our ship?" Zoro grinned.

"Might as well, what good is a pirate crew with out a captain?" Lia implied as Luffy rushed to their table and saw their meals.

"Uh! You're eating all this delicious food without me? What kind of crew are you?! How could you do this to me?!" he ranted furiously.

Then Zoro decided to tease him more. "Hold on, I think that's our business isn't that right?" He laughed as Luffy picked his nose and dropped a booger in his drink.

"Take this," he scowled.

"Oh no he didn't!" "Oh boy! This is going to be so good!" Prilla and Usopp whispered as they, Nami and Lia tried to suppress their laughter, becoming a snickering mess.

Zoro faced Luffy as he picked up his glass. "You know I have to say the food here really is quite delicious, good stuff." He raised it near his lips. "Yes it is." The others almost couldn't hold it any longer, as the glass was teetering to his lips. "I feel bad for you but..." Suddenly he grabbed Luffy and put the glass to his mouth. "YOU SHOULD BE DRINKING THIS YOURSELF HA, HA, HA, HA!"

The group was now roaring in laughter as Zoro let go of him and Luffy coughed and gagged while flailing on the floor. Zoro stood over him with a scowl now on his face. "Ugh I can't believe you did that!" Luffy yelled at him.

"Yeah? Well I can't believe _you_ did that!" Zoro retorted back.

Nami and Usopp were banging their hands against the table as they laughed. Prilla held her stomach and Lia laughed against hand. "Awe that was nasty!" Luffy gagged.

"Well Luffy, now we know that if we ever resort to cannibalism, you'd be off the list since you've confirmed that you taste terrible," Lia mockingly stated.

Usopp just about had it with that remark since he fell out of his seat laughing harder. Prilla dropped her head on the table, clutching her belly from laughing just as hard. Zoro smirked at Lia as he still stood over Luffy.

From a distance, Sanji looked up from 'elegantly' poring some wine for a lady. "Aren't they quaint? I wonder if that's the rest of his crew?" he begrudgingly questioned to himself as he looked across the restaurant to see Luffy's rambunctious crew.

He focused his gaze to Nami, who was still banging on the table in laughter. Then at Lia who was casually laughing into her hand. Sanji couldn't take his eye's off of them (mostly Lia). Then he gave the bottle of wine to the man at the table he was serving. "Finish poring it yourself," he told him.

The next thing the girls knew, blooming red roses was presented to them. "Oh dear Ocean. Thank for these awe-inspiring treasures you've shared from your depths," swooned Sanji, kneeling on one knee to the women. Both Lia and Nami leaned back, confused and uncomfortable on what wass happening.

"Don't look now Li but you've got yourself an admirer," Prilla said to her sister.

"Yeah I got that Prilla," Lia rebuked to her as Sanji continued.

"Awe yes, my loves." He covered his face with his other hand. "I can't bare this hardship of loving you two from afar, it is too difficult! I am now prepared to sail the ends of the earth as a pirate if it means some of you rare and luscious beauties will be by my sides!" he declared with heart in his eyes. (literally)

Luffy made a somewhat grin as he watched the awkward scene play. Zoro on the other hand watched with shadowed eyes in disgust and fury. Disgusted by how Sanji was acting, and furious at him for doing it towards Lia. Prilla noticed this, and backed away from him. "That guy better stop this now, or else he'll be in his watery grave real soon," she whispered to herself.

As Sanji gave the roses to Lia and Nami, he stood up still acting like a love struck idiot. "To be together sailing the seas! But how tragic a great obstacle blocks our way," he proclaimed, in 'pain'.

 _'Could someone please?! Stop this now!'_ Lia begged in her thoughts.

As if hearing her thoughts and someone did come to her rescue. "And that great obstacle would be me right? Sanji?" Head Chef Zeff questioned, coming into the scene from behind.

 _'Oh sweet Avalon! Thank you!'_ Lia cheered, sighing in relief as the 'love sick fool' stopped fawning over her and Nami.

"Awe stupid geezer," Sanji groaned, getting out of his fantasy.

Zeff casually had his arms folded as he addressed to Sanji. "This is an opportunity you don't want to pass up. Why not join them, become a pirate?" Sanji turned to him in disbelief. "I have no need to keep you here at my restaurant," Zeff said out of the blue. Sanji grit his teeth.

"Well that was sudden," Prilla stated. Usopp agreed with her, getting back in his seat.

Sanji faced Zeff. "Hey listen pal, I'm the sous-chef of this place. What do you mean you don't need me anymore?" he retorted.

Zoro sat back down with Lia. "You alright?" he asked her. She shook out of her discomfort then smiled to him.

"Not 'okay' with the adoration, but alright in person," she assured him. Zeff continued with his explanation to Sanji.

"You fight with customers all the time. You flirt with every woman under eighty who walks through here. You can't even cook a decent meal. You're worthless to me then the chow after brunch, that's what I mean," he said to Sanji, not hesitating with a single word he said.

Prilla and Lia could feel the tension between the two. "Wow, that guy sure knows how to get his point across," Prilla mentioned to her sister.

Lia nodded. "Definitely, a real blow to one's ego," she added.

"So, uh." Sanji didn't know how to respond to that claim. Lia heard some chuckling from up stairs.

"Oh and let's not forget how the other cooks avoid you like the plague. So just run off and be a pirate or whatever, but get out of this restaurant," Zeff harshly ordered.

Sanji glared at the old man. "That's how it is?" he hissed. "You shot out from the mouth and expect that I'm just gonna take it old man?" he started to stomp over to Zeff. "I can blow off everything you said, but I won't listen to anyone who trashes my cooking! I'm staying here as a sous-chef, and that final!" He grabbed Zeff by the collar, but Zeff wasn't fazed by it.

"What do you think you're doing?! Grabbing your boss by the collar!" Zeff smacked his hands away then grabbed his collar, then tossed him over. "You Ingrate!" Zeff yelled. Sanji landed on the crew's table, but not before they took all the food and dishes off so they wouldn't get ruined.

"That had to hurt," Prilla jeered.

Sanji slid off the table groaning. "Geezer," was uttered out of him in annoyance. "Enough with games," he ranted, sitting back up. "You can try to kick me out. But I'm here to stay, I'm not going anywhere old man. Not until you're dead and gone!" he proclaimed.

Zeff just started to walk away, no longer paying any attention to the sous-chef. "Dead? Humph! I've got another hundred years of kicking your a** left in me," he scoffed, heading up the stairs.

Luffy went up to Sanji and patted his shoulder with a smile. "See? He said it's cool. Now you can become a pirate!" he said happily completely missing the point of what went down.

"Shut up!" Sanji seethed at him.

Lia lifted a brow to Luffy as Sanji got up to fist their table. "He's the cook you've chosen Luffy?" The said boy turned and smiled at her.

"Yep! All that's left now is for me to pay off my debt in a week, then we're home free!" he declared assuredly.

Both Lia and Zoro gave him questioning looks. "I thought Prilla said you had to work it off for a whole year?"

Luffy slouched, then stuck his tongue at them. "No way! I gonna get the old man to let me off with in a week. I've already decided, and it's final," he firmly stated.

Prilla decided to mess with him more. "Uh huh, so. Exactly how, much stuff have you demolished that could be added to your debt?" she asked with a coy smile.

Luffy blinked at her, the realized what she meant. "Oh crap! I didn't keep track!" he cried, starting to count his fingers. Prilla and Lia laughed at him, then stopped when the heard Sanji stand the fixed table back up.

"My apologies," he said, then suddenly placed some kind fruity treat in front of Nami. While pouring her a drink.

 _'When did he bring that stuff out?'_ Prilla and Lia wondered.

"I hope I can make it up to you with this 'Fruit Macedonia' my princess," he said smoothly to her. Nami wasted no time accepting it.

"Wow you're too kind! I looks wonderful~" she said sweetly.

"Good to hear," he replied as sweetly back. "And for you ladies." He quickly turned to Lia And Prilla.

"Oh boy," they lowly groaned. Soon a mouth watering frozen treat was in front of them both.

It had assorted fruits on top with the inside of the glasses filled with flavored shaved ice. "I do hope these Fruit Sherbet creams will be to you liking?" he replied to them. Prilla practically drooled over it with dazzled eyes. Lia thought the treats were nice too.

She coughed into her hand, looked away from him and said, "It's looks lovely, thank you."

"My pleasure my darling angel~" he swooned again. Luffy suddenly heard a 'crack' sound from his side.

He turned to see Zoro glaring daggers at Sanji with his scary shadowed eyes. He leaned away from him, not wanting to get involved with what he might do to their future cook. Prilla noticed it to.

 _'Good thing I'm rooting for him and not Curly brow cupid there,'_ she remarked in her head.

Then Usopp went up to Sanji with a scowl on his face. "Hey! Don't forget about us Mr. Casanova! We better get some sort of an apology too!" he demanded.

Sanji went up in Usopp's face, bending his nose up a bit. "This tea should be more then adequate for you. In fact, you should be thanking me," he implied lowly.

This annoyed Usopp further. "What!? You wanna fight! You're gonna regret this!" he threatened. However he turned to face Zoro, who didn't mind the tea at all and started to drink it. "Take him out Zoro!" Usopp ordered.

"Real manly of you Usopp." Prilla sweat-dropped. Zoro did the same.

"You take him out," he said.

Nami got in between the two acting innocent. She managed to smooth talk Sanji into making her and the girls' dishes free, but not the men. Zoro sweat dropped even more, almost feeling sorry for the cook getting wrapped around Nami's finger. "Oh! I almost forgot!" Nami clapped her hands in realization.

Sanji leaned to her side to assist. "What's the matter my princess?~" She leaned in and whispered something in his ear. Sanji nodded with a smile. "Of course, I'll have it over in no time," he assured her. What he assured her of the rest of the crew didn't know.

Luffy didn't care as he just sat at their table laughing. That is until he got a swift kick in the neck. "What are you sitting around for?!" Bobbing his head like a toy in the end, Sanji grabbed him and walked away with him. Luffy didn't struggle as he let his feet drag. "You're not here to lounge around," Sanji reminded him.

"Right," Luffy groaned.

The group watched them go with a sweat drop on their heads. When everything settled down, everyone went back to eating. Usopp sat back down with a pout. "I don't like him. Of all the cooks Luffy had to pick that guy," he grumbled under his breath.

"Couldn't agree more with you Usopp," Zoro said, glaring at where the cook had walked off.

"We might as well deal with it guys." They turned to Lia as she was casually eating the fruit sherbet. "You should know that when a captain makes a decision and sticks with it, we have no choice but to accept it. Whether we like it or not," she stated. The men sighed in annoyance, but agreed with her.

Then, Sanji came back out with a tray in his hands. Luffy followed with a big grin. "Great, what does he want now?" Zoro questioned aggravated. Sanji placed the tray in front of Prilla, then lifted the lid that covered it. On the tray revealed a gorgeous/delicious looking cake. The top was decked out in strawberries, some cherries, ad blueberries. It also had a chocolate sign that said 'Happy Birthday' and three sparkler sticks in it.

"And for the final touch." Sanji took a lighter from his pocket and lit the sparklers. All three sparkled like the stars.

"But how did you-?" Prilla was cut off when she heard Nami giggle.

"You told him didn't you?" Lia implied.

"Of course, it's her birthday after all. Might as well celebrate it while we're here," Nami pointed out with a smile.

"Hurry up and make a wish Prill!" Luffy said excited. Prilla nodded to him. She closed her eyes and thought about her wish for a moment, then took a deep breath and blew out all three sparklers. Everyone around clapped for her, even the other chefs who on the stairs did the same.

"Best Birthday Ever!" Prilla cheered. Everyone laughed at her cheerful spirit.

"This day has turned out pretty well." Lia smiled, as she watched Sanji cut the cake for Prilla. She wondered what the days ahead of them would have in store. Little did she or the others know, that something was about to happen. And it wouldn't be pleasant for them in the least.

 ** _To Be Continued...…._**

 ** _ **Boom! Voyage nine is done! Hope you all are enjoying the story so far everyone! I'll write the next one soon, so hang tight!**_**


	12. Voyage 10

Three days passed and Luffy still was working off his debt to the restaurant. And by that time, the crew was bored to of their minds. Johnny and Yosaku were going over bounties again, Usopp was playing with his sling-shot, Nami was looking over maps and a Wanted poster (for some strange reason), and Zoro was doing his usual routine... Napping and training.

As for the girls, Lia was helping Prilla with a new thing for her to try. "Alright Prilla, you got this," Lia assured her sister. In front of them both were planting items: a seed, soil, a water pitcher, and a flower pot.

"Okay, so all I have to do is infuse my magic to the seed and plant it. Then use the 'instant growth' potion while it's in the sun. After that, we see it grow into a new flower species _**I**_ created?" She played it through, making sure she got it right.

Lia nodded to her. "That's right, so, are you ready?"

Prilla took a deep breath and gave Lia a determined face. "Lets do this."

Meanwhile outside, everyone was busy with their own thing after they had lunch. Sanji stepped out with two trays in his hands and walked up to the 'Going Merry'. As he was about to walk on board; "What do you want?" asked a gruff toned voice. Sanji looked to see Zoro standing in his way.

Zoro had been sitting on the edge of the ships dock way doing a few rounds of lifting a dumb-bell. Sanji scoffed to side then said, "I came to give my dear Lia and her sweet sister Prilla their lunch. Since they didn't come an hour ago with you. Is that a problem?"

Zoro couldn't help but internally growl at him. _'Since when is Lia your dear?'_

"They didn't come because Lia is busy training Prilla. From what I've heard it's serious," he sternly told Sanji.

"Then I'll just leave it in your guys' kitchen till they're done," Sanji retorted. The two started staring at each other in a way where anyone can feel the tension in the air around them.

"The galley is just up the stairs to your side Sanji, just leave the trays on the table once your inside," Nami called out.

"With pleasure Nami~!" Sanji immediately swooned, heading to the stairs. Zoro glared him down as he went.

"You keep glaring like that and your face will freeze, and stay that way," Nami told him.

Zoro turned his head with a huff. "Please, like I believe that rumor." Sanji came back out and started to leave. But before he did, he turned to Nami with a smile.

"Is there anything else you need~?"

"Yeah, beat it," Zoro ordered.

Sanji turned to him and scowled. "I was talking to the lady dumb a**. So don't go giving me orders."

Nami shook her head. "No that will be all until we come down for dinner," she simply said. Sanji quickly changed his attitude.

"Of course! Until then, enjoy your day my dear~!" And with that he went back to the restaurant. The swordsman continued to scowl at the cook as he left.

Nami sighed. "You don't need to possessive of Lia, Zoro. She's a big girl, she can handle herself."

Zoro turned to her and seethed. "I'm not Possessive!" Nami shrugged at him with a grin. "And I know Lia can hold on her own." He folded his arms, "Just making sure I got her back like I promised," he finished lowly at the end, but Nami still heard him.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKK!" they and everyone else heard.

Taking action, Zoro was the first one to jump and run to the green house. Nami, Usopp, and the duo followed behind him. They rushed through the door and ran in to see a very joyful Prilla and proud Lia at a table. "Ididit!Ididit!Ididit!Ididit!Ididit!" Prilla squealed.

"Congratulations Prill!" Lia beamed.

Everyone was beyond confused.

"Uh? What's going on? We heard Prilla screaming." Usopp scratched his head.

Lia smiled at them. "Prilla has just successfully created a new species of flower," she replied.

"REALLY?!" the group, excluding Zoro gasped.

Prilla nodded vigorously. "Mhm, look!"

Both sisters stepped to the side for them as they walked up to the table. There on the table was a pot with a newly planted white flower that group never seen before.

It bore a few blossoms on each stem; they were small but seemed unique inside.

"Whoa!" How beautiful!" "Nice." The boys, Nami and Zoro awed.

"Yep! I'm gonna call them 'Baby Dove Orchids'," Prilla declared. Usopp, Johnny and Yosaku took a closer look.

"It looks like there are little doves inside," Usopp stated.

"Heh, they do look like baby doves," Yosaku chuckled.

"So small and cute," Johnny gushed. "

Is that what you two have been working on?" Nami asked. Both sister nodded.

"Yep, when a fairy that has 'plant or earth' magic gets to a certain age, they have to attempt to create their own new species of flower or plant," Prilla explained.

"Wait." They turned to Usopp. "Does that mean all the flowers in the world were created by you guys?" he questioned.

Lia shook her head. "No, not all of them. Just the ones that seem... more unique or rare." She walked off, then came back with a flower pot in her hands. "I created this one when I was no older than Prill."

She placed it on the table next to Prilla's.

"Oooooooo," the group (except Zoro) awed at it. The flower was a beautiful white lily, but not a lily like they had ever seen.

"I gave it the name 'White Queen Lily'," Lia proclaimed.

"I can see why, it's more unique than the lilies I've seen," Usopp claimed.

As everyone was taking in the sight of the flowers, Zoro leaned towards Lia and said close to her ear, "Was that before or after we met?" he asked.

Lia turned to him. "Before, though I was rushed into it because Thaylim's ship was in a storm and I had to help out."

"Yet you still managed to make it in one piece." (no pun intended folks)

Lia shrugged. "You work with what you have to and make do in any situation," she said. "And we're gonna have to use that method once we get to the 'Grand Line'," she pointed out in the end.

Night fell and the ships of the restaurant's customers were leaving. Luffy practically dragged himself to the Merry's dock. "So, tired." he groaned.

"How was work today Luffy?" He turned his head to see it was Lia who had asked the question. He let out an exaggerated sigh.

"More boring than before. I'm now stuck with cleaning the windows, sweeping the floors and taking out the trash," he complained.

"Let me guess, those are the only chores they can give you that won't lead you to breaking things?" she smirked.

"Hey! Not like I'm breaking them on purpose!" Luffy yelled.

Lia laughed. "Relax, I'm just messing with you. Get some rest, you'll need it for tomorrow," she kindly suggested. Luffy nodded then headed back to the boys' quarters.

"Exactly when are you going to tell him that his debt is already paid?" Lia looked behind her and saw Zoro leaning against the mast.

"When the moment is right, besides you gotta admit that seeing him like this is a little funny." Lia chuckled a bit.

Zoro smirked. "Never pegged you to be a trickster."

Lia winked at him. "Don't forget that playing tricks on humans is a fairy's favorite hobby."

"Humph," he mused, tossing her a practice sword. "Hope you haven't been using ticks to get as good with a blade," he teasingly accused.

An irked mark flinched on her temple. "I'm gonna make you regret those words Roronoa," she hissed, pulling out the sword. Zoro huffed an amused smirk as he got into his stance, so did Lia.

All was silent, then the two clashed swords. Each held their own well; when there was an opening from either of them, one would block the other as swiftly as the other went or it. The whole duel lasted for a good fifteen minutes. But when Lia took a step back, both fighters heard a "SQUEAL!" Lia looked back and saw that she had stepped in Izzy's tail.

"Sorry Izzy!" She lifted her foot and the gecko ran off. However when Lia did that, it caused her and Zoro to lose their balance. Lia fell back as Zoro fell forward. A loud thud shuddered through the dock. Lia groaned in slight pain, she heard another groan only. Very close to her.

She looked and saw Zoro hunched over her, almost trapping her with his body. She payed no mind to it at first, but when she and Zoro moved to get up, " **!?/ ?!** " Both turned their heads and their lips met with each other. Time looked as if it had just been frozen as they did. Until Lia shoved him off and looked the other direction. Zoro did the same as he sat there with his legs crossed.

The pair's faces were steaming red. _'I-I just kissed Zoro! My first kiss with Zoro! I know I wanted to have it with him in the past but...'_

As thoughts swam in Lia's mind, Zoro's was just as conflicted. _'What the Hell!? That wasn't suppose to happen! If that stupid lizard hadn't shown up, I could have done that in better place and time!'_ Lia coughed as she looked to the greenhouse's direction.

"You know, let's call it a day er! Night! I think I b-b-better go and check on Prill!" With that she quickly went to the greenhouse without saying another word. While Zoro watched her go inside, he pounded his fist to the ground.

"Idiot," he hissed to himself, still blushing.

Meanwhile in the galley; "Wow, Zoro sure blew that one," Usopp whispered flatly.

Yosaku nodded.

"I always thought that Big Bro had a shot but..." Johnny hesitated.

"Well in his and Lia's defiance, it could have gone smoothly if Izzy hadn't been there," Nami pointed out. They all nodded to that.

"Why was Izzy there anyway?" Usopp pondered.

Back in the greenhouse in the girls' bed hunt; "There, next time be a little more careful Izz. That was pretty dumb to blend in and attempt to sneak pass Lia and Zoro," Prilla told the gecko, as she tied a bandage on her tail. Izzy whined a squeak in shame, knowing that Prilla was right.

"But... You did help me score a good image of them~," she sang taking out a pink 'image lotus'. She tapped it twice and it showed the image of Lia nd Zoro unintentionally kissing each other. "I'm so gonna get a lot of mileage on this from those two." Prilla coyly smirked while Izzy start laughing.

Then, they heard someone coming. Prilla quickly hid her lotus and turned off the light. Pretending to be asleep, she heard Lia walk in. "Of all things that could have happen. I can't tell which one was more embarrassing. Falling during a duel or having my first kiss in an awkward time," Lia complained.

As she walked in, she turned on the lamp and found Prilla in her hammock-bed. "*Sigh* At least she didn't witness it. The last thing I need is for her to hang that over my had."

Prilla and Izzy smirked, mentally laughing. _'Don't bet on it Li~.'_

Lia sighed as she leaned against the glass wall of the hut. "I pictured my first kiss with Zoro a time where it would mean something. Not from an accident."

Hearing that saddened Prilla. Izzy stared at Prilla and frowned while turning blue. _'Maybe I should use this for something else,'_ she thought looking at her lotus. Lia turned off the lights and went to bed, hoping things would go smoothly in the morning.

It was the forth day in the afternoon and the crew was still board. The fog that had rolled in didn't help the mood. "Ugh! We've been sitting around and twiddling our thumbs for four days now!" Usopp complained as he, Zoro, Nami and the sisters hung out at the front deck of the Merry.

"Longest four days of my life," Prilla sighed on the steps.

"Which one, your Fae or human?" Lia teased, which earned her a shove, and she laughed. Nami laughed with her.

"How much longer do you think we're gonna be here anyway?" Usopp asked Zoro.

Zoro answered him without a care. "Who knows? We might leave if Lia tells Luffy the debts are payed off," he mentioned, spearing a glance at the pinkette.

"I second that. Come on Lia just tell him the truth. He told us he'd be here a year, but I'm already bored out of my skull," Usopp rebuked some more.

Then Nami stepped in. "Quiet whining, this place is great! Plus all the food here is free~," she mused at the end.

Zoro scoffed. "Yeah, for you and the other girls it is."

Lia quickly went to her defense. "Hey I didn't ask to have them free. Plus I payed for your guys meals, so be grateful for that," she retorted at the end.

"You're right, thank you," both men replied to her. Usopp turned to see Luffy hauling out a trash bag.

"Hey Luffy!" he called out. Luffy looked to the side of the trash and glanced at Usopp. "What are we still doing here?! Come on, let's just get out of this place!" his friend yelled.

"Just sit tight a little longer. I gonna try to make another deal with the owner," Luffy reasoned. Usopp scoffed, tempted to tell him the truth, but knew that Lia should be the one to do it.

"Well hurry up!"

Lia wasn't so keen with Usopp's attitude. "You know Usopp, for a sniper, you're really impatient." She glared at him. He turned around and glared at her back.

"I would be if you'd just tell Luffy the truth," he ranted.

Prilla yawned. "All this has gotten me tired." She got up and walked up the step to the greenhouse. "Wake me up when something exciting happens." With that she went inside.

"Great, now Prilla is acting like Zoro," Nami whined.

The said swordsmen sat up and scowled at her. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

As Zoro scorned at Nami, Lia felt a dark lingering aura. She got up and looked around. Her piercing gaze came to a stop towards where the entrance of the restaurant faced. Glaring at the direction, Lia had a bad feeling. "Hmm? What's up Lia?" Usopp asked.

Not breaking her gaze she answered him, "I'm not sure but it feels like we're gonna have trouble real soon."

Zoro got up and stood next to her, looking into the distance where she faced. "You see something?" he asked, holding tightly to one of his swords.

"Not yet but I know something over there is coming. And I don't think it's friendly," Lia replied sternly.

As soon as Lia said that, a figure of some sort started to slowly appear in the fog. "W-what is it?" Usopp quivered. Moments later, the figure was within a good enough range to see it clearly. It was a large black galleon pirate ship.

"I take it that would be one of this Don Krieg's ships?" Lia questioned lowly to Zoro.

"No doubt. The Jolly Roger with the hour glass is his mark," he told her.

Usopp freaked. "Guys don't panic but I think this our que to leave right now!" he shouted.

"Look at the sheer size of that galleon ship!" Nami pointed out. After a while the fog started to clear, and the crew got a better look at the intimidating ship.

"By Avalon, what happen to that ship?" Lia gasped.

The ship itself looked it had gone through a great massacre. "Did a hurricane hit that ship? It looks like it'll sink any minute," Johnny inputted. Lia thought that it might be the case, for the galleon's damage didn't appear to be man made.

Then they saw two figures on the deck, and head towards the restaurant. "Who are they?" Yosaku wondered from a distance.

"Well from what I can see, one of them is the pirate we saw four days ago. And I can only assume that the man he's carrying is his captain," Lia deduced.

"You mean Don Krieg?!" Usopp cried. As the two went into the restaurant, all was menacingly quiet.

"Hmmm."

"What is it Lia?" Nami asked in slight fear.

"Nami, you said that one of Krieg's sails a fleet or two right?" Lia asked looking at the said run down galleon.

"Yeah?"

"And that man has at least fifty ships? With that same number of fleets with each?"

"Just what are you trying to point out Lia?" Usopp demanded.

"Take a good look at the ship. If Krieg came off it, it's gotta be his main station. But with the condition it's in, one would expect it would have at least one or two more ships with it for support," Lia explained.

Both Usopp and Nami blinked for a moment, then looked at the ship. "You're right, with a ship in that state. It would have been beneficial to bring more if something were to happen to it," Nami stated.

"Yeah, and if that's the head ship, then where's the others? Wouldn't they follow with it?" Usopp questioned.

Suddenly all the customers of the restaurant fled in terror back to their ships. This made the sniper cower even more. "Do you guys see that?" Seeing the people flea the way they did, didn't help his nerves. "This looks bad. What do you think is going on in there?" he asked

"We'll never know unless we head in and find out," Lia said simply.

Usopp stared at her in shock. "What!? Are you serious!?"

Zoro smirked at him. "Sure are. You sound scared Usopp," he teased the sniper.

"What! I am not scared!" he spouted at him.

Lia chuckled. "Sure, what ever you say Usopp," she said.

"Hmm." She turned to Zoro who stared at the ship.

"What is it?" she asked him.

"It's so strange. The ship almost looks abandoned," he figured.

Lia closed her eyes and concentrated. Her hair flickered and waved as if there was a breeze, but there wasn't. Zoro looked at her and waited to see what she found out. "No, there are people on it. We just can't see them. Their auras feel weak; it's almost the same as that man's was four days ago," she predicted.

An explosion sounded out from the restaurant. "What in Avalon was that?!" Lia shouted. She and the others looked over.

"It sounds like fight." Zoro pointed out the obvious.

"Alright that does it, I can't take it any more. I'm going over to see if Luffy's alright," Lia proclaimed, heading over to Johnny and Yosaku's boat. "Mind if I borrow this?" she asked them.

The two shook their heads. "Not at all," they said.

"Hold on Lia, we're coming with you," she head Zoro say coming up to her.

"Y-yeah. Y-you might need back up," Usopp stuttered. Lia smiled.

"Appreciate the help," she said as the two got on. She turned her gaze to Nami. "Nami, man the ship while we're gone."

"You got it," Nami assured her, giving Lia the thumb up.

"And if Prilla wakes up before we get back, be sure to tell her everything."

When Lia and the boys went in the restaurant from the back, Lia heard a rough voice she could only assume was Don Krieg's. "Mind if you guys stay here for a sec? I wanna see this guy for myself and find out if he's all that he's cracked up to be," Lia claimed, looking determined.

Zoro smirked. "Not at all, don't be afraid to give him hell," he suggested.

"Oh I won't," she said. When she came into the dining hall, she saw Luffy was about to throw it down with a man who was armored with gold-plated steel and had a hand covered in a diamond glove. _'That must be Krieg,'_ she assumed.

"I can and I will. It would be my pleasure to send you to an early grave you cocky runt!" sneered the man. His armor let off steam and revealed multiple cannons on his person.

Lia quickly took action and appeared next to Luffy. "You do that and it's gonna be you in that grave instead, you air-headed blowhard," she insulted, giving off a strong aura.

"Oh, hi Lia," Luffy said, like nothing was happening.

Krieg grunted a sneer. "And who the hell are you bi***?" Lia narrowed her eyes.

"How dare you insult Lia like that you bastard!" Sanji seethed.

Lia held out her arm to him. "I can handle myself Sanji, so stand down," she ordered.

Sanji looked at Lia in shock. "But-"

"Sanji." He was cut off by Zeff. "I'd listen to her if I were you. After all, she and her kind are not the kind of people you want to trifle with," he warned. All the chefs in the room were confused.

Krieg however roared in laughter. "What are you talking about old man?! This woman looks nothing more then a scrawny weak twig! She could never stand up to the forces of the 'Grand Line'!"

Zeff wasn't fazed at all by that claim, neither was Lia. "Oh but she has. So did her brother," Zeff mentioned. The whole room fell silent as everyone stared at Lia in sheer bewilderment. Lia huffed an amused chuckle.

"Not surprised you know of me 'Red Foot' Zeff. After all, I'm sure Thaylim spoke of me when the two of you met," she smiled at the head chef

"Yes, enough to make my ears bleed. And speaking of the boy, you have my sincere condolences for your loss, Miss Lianara," Zeff slightly bowed to her, with his hand over his heart.

"Thank you," she said.

"Lianara?!" "As in, The Crown Princess Lianara?" "So, that means the stories are true." "No wonder she's so beautiful." "So does that mean she's.." All the chef were muttering to themselves in awe. Krieg stood there in shock, staring at Lia.

 _'There's no damn way. This woman is the future ruler of the mystical island of Avalon?!'_ he wondered in his head.

Patty looked over to his friend in confusion. "Uh Cane, you mind filling me in. Who is Lianara?" he asked.

"Are you serious?! You mean you don't have any clue who that is?! That woman is the crown princess of the fairy kingdom that dwells in the legendary island 'Avalon'!" Cane roared at Patty.

"No way?! So we've been hosting royalty this whole time?!" Patty cried his eyes popping.

Sanji couldn't believe what he was hearing, neither could Gin. _'So, so that's what that little girl meant when she said she and her sister have been through the 'Grand Line'. The perils that happen there are child's play to Fae folk!'_

"You expect me to believe that this woman is the fairy princess of Avalon? The island of dreams that hides in the 'Grand Line'?" Krieg grunted.

"If she wasn't, why else would she have the royal Fae mark?" Zeff questioned Krieg.

Then Lia heard the familiar sound of swords being held. "What's going on Lia, Luffy? Need a hand?" Zoro asked from the stairs. He smiled, ready for a fight.

Usopp on the other hand was shaking his legs in fear. "If you guys don't need help that's okay too!"

Everyone looked up to see Zoro and Usopp standing at the stairs. "Oh, hey guys. Appreciate the offer, but I think we can handle this clown," Luffy told them. Zoro drew back his swords in disappointment. Usopp just started rambling.

"Awe to bad! But if you say you don't need any help, who am I to argue? Us awesome fighters are just gonna sit this one out!"

Lia sighed in annoyance. "Zoro would you?" The swordsman didn't hesitate to elbow Usopp causing him to fall back. "Thank you."

"No problem," Zoro said to her.

"What did you do that for Zoro?!" Usopp seethed.

"Shut up already you weirdo," Zoro snapped.

Krieg smirked, then laughed. "Are those two men along with 'little miss fairy' part of your crew? That's a pretty small group you got there kid," he mocked.

"Well that's not all, I got three more!" Luffy shouted back, holding up three fingers.

"I'm not a part of your crew!" Sanji yelled out to Luffy.

But he didn't listen as he continued. "Also I got a real dragon on my side, so who laughing now?!"

Krieg didn't look like he was amused. He tucked away his canons and said, "I'll deal with you later, right now I'm gonna go feed my men." He hauled the bag of food over his shoulders.

"Those who don't wish to die can leave this restaurant now and escape that fate. The only things I'm after are the logbook and this ship. And if this woman is who she is, then I'll take her too." Lia narrowed her eyes to that.

With that he started to leave, but then he paused to say one more thing. "However if you wish to stay and be slaughtered, I have no problem burying every last one of you at sea. Know that." And he was gone. Gin sat the by the broken door holding his arm in pain and shame.

"I'm so sorry Sanji. I never thought it would be this way. I never intended this to happen," he grieved to Sanji, not bearing to look at him.

"You have nothing to apologize for sailor," Zeff said. All the chefs and Gin gawked at him. "Every cook in this restaurant did what they thought was best. That's all there is to say about this," Zeff told him.

Lia nodded her head. "He's right, there is no shame in doing the right thing," she agreed.

Patty couldn't stand it. "But boss, Miss Lia! Why are you talking as if you two are taking Sanji's side?! This mess is his fault!" he blamed.

The other chefs agreed with him at started spouting their accusations to Sanji as well. They kept ranting on until Zeff snapped. "YOU FOOLS DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!" he roared. They flinched, Zeff went on about how the cooks didn't what it's like to be stranded in the middle of no where in the open ocean with no food or water for more then twenty days. To be on the verge of death because of starvation.

 _'A fate no one should go through,'_ Lia thought. Then Sanji pointed out to Gin that he's going to show no mercy to those who threaten the restaurant, and that included him.

Luffy was impressed with Sanji. "See, this guy's awesome huh?" he pointed out to the guys.

Usopp seethed at him. "Who cares how awesome he is?! We gotta get out of here right now!"

"Easy there Luffy. He is Don Krieg, but he's in pretty sad shape," Zoro told Luffy.

Lia scoffed. "Sad is right. Just one look from him was all I needed to see he's nothing more than a dishonorable pompous egomaniac that's no smarter than a cave troll. And they're the dumbest things in the magic world," she discredited

Usopp looked at her, amazed that she could say that without a second thought. "Are you always this cold to bad guys?"

She shrugged. "Only to those I see that earned that," she stated. Then she turned to Gin. "Gin, was it?" she asked.

He looked up to her. "Uh yes your highness?"

She shook her head. "Just call me Lia. Anyway Don said his fleet was wiped out with in the week you started, is that correct?" she asked.

"Hey wait." She turned to Luffy. "Gin you said you didn't know anything about the 'Grand Line', I thought you've been there? That doesn't make any sense," he pointed out. The chefs looked at Gin just as confused as Luffy.

Gin swallowed as he looked down. "Nothing makes any sense now," he uttered.

"I think I might understand. You knew nothing about the 'Grand Line' yet you still went there. Only to have lasted about a week at the very beginning of it. Just barely managing to survive the unpredictable weather and unforeseen obstacles that were there. Am I right?" Lia guessed.

Gin didn't look up, but he did nod to her. "Yes Miss Lia. But there was more to it than that." Lia lifted a brow to him. "What happened to us on the seventh day of our journey through that cursed sea. I don't know if it's a dream or reality. I saw things that I can't bring myself to believe. I know in my heart that it's impossible, for that entire fifty ship fleet, to be completely eradicated by a single human man!"

Lia froze as everyone gasped and gawked at him in disbelief and fear. "WHAT?!"

Gin continued. "As soon as this man appeared, he began to systematically sink our ships one after that other. If that raging storm hadn't came in the way it did, that monster would have destroyed our Flag Ship as well." He started to shake in pure terror. "I don't even know if any other ship made it out of there like we did. It seems like a terrifying memory burned into my skull! I just want to forget it all!" he cowered.

 _'He couldn't mean...?'_ Lia wondered, then what Gin said next confirmed her thoughts.

"His eyes, they were like a hawk's. So sharp and merciless that can seal anyone's fate. His strong gaze alone is much like the cold clutches of death!"

Both Zoro and Lia gasped at that. _'What did he just say?!'_ _'There's no doubt, it was him.'_

Then Zeff spoke. "Well then, that can only be the one and only man known as 'Hawk-eye'." The cooks, Gin and everyone stared at him.

"What?" someone questioned.

He kept talking to Gin. "Your description of his heartless gaze isn't the only proof of his identity in and of itself. But the way you described how he decimated your fleet confirms without a doubt that it's him." Lia slowly nodded, knowing too well of that man.

"Hawk-eye Mihawk," she heard Zoro utter, clenching the bar of the railing in a death grip. Luffy and Lia looked up to him.

"So you know him Zoro?" Luffy asked.

Zoro calmed down and said. "Yeah I do, he's the man I've been looking for." Lia internally gasped at him. "That guy is the whole reason I set out to sea.," he explained.

"Hey Gin, could that guy have some sort of score to settle with you?" Sanji asked, smoking away.

"We didn't do anything to him!" Gin scorned.

Lia sighed. "The only reason I could think of way he did what he did is you might have disturbed him during a nap," she assumed.

Gin growled, "What?! Why would he destroy an entire fleet for something so trivial!?"

Zeff chuckled at Gin. "There's no need to shout, it was just an example of what kind of a place the 'Grand Line' truly is. That is my friendly advice to you," he stated.

Usopp sweat-dropped in fear as he asked, "And what kind of place is that?"

Zoro answered him. "He mean's that anything that could happen, will happen. So anything there." Usopp went into tears.

"That's not all." They both looked over to Lia. "The magical world that also resides there, is ten times more miraculously unpredictable. New obstacles and enemies. And not one thing happens twice," Lia exclaimed lowly. That caused Usopp to cry more.

"Hey Luffy do we really have to go there?! I mean really?! Luffy?" The said boy didn't answer him, until a big obnoxious grin spread on his face.

"Awesome! This is going to be a blast!" he cheered.

Usopp seethed at him. "DO you NOT understand the concept or the meaning of danger!?"

"Apparently not," Lia drawled.

While all the men started to bicker to one another, Lia was lost in her thoughts. _'Are we rushing things too quickly? There's more to the 'Grand Line' than meets the eye. Plus it's been so long since I've last been through there, I don't even know how much has changed.'_

Then, the whole restaurant heard a series of battle cries from outside.

"Hear that? They're gonna be here soon!" "The Restaurant is ours! And I'll fight to the death to keep it that way!" said some of the chefs.

As Lia heard the coming fight, she heard a familiar piercing sound. Like a swift swing of a sword cutting through stone. Suddenly Don's ship split in two, and caused massive waves to violently rock the restaurant ship.

"Raise the anchor! Otherwise we'll sink along with them!" Zeff ordered one of the cooks.

"Yes sir!"

Then something dawned on Lia. "Wait a minute. Prilla, Nami and the others are still out there with our ship!" she stated in concern.

As she ran out, Luffy and the others followed her. When they were out the door, they saw the galleon was starting to sink.

"Big Bro!" "Big Bro!" called out two voices. The crew ran to the side and found Yosaku and Johnny in the water.

"Yosaku! Johnny!" Luffy cried out.

"Are you two alright?!" Lia asked.

"What happened to the ship? Where's Nami and Prilla?!" asked Zoro sternly. As they were talking, Lia felt a strong, powerful aura coming from a distance. She looked and saw a familiar figure.

 _'No way,'_ she gasped in thought. As the figure became more clear, Lia swallowed. Never have she thought that she would see him again after so long. _'Why is he here? Of all places? It's way too early for Zoro to face you.'_ When the figure of the small boat and the person in it were clear to see, Lia saw the piercing gaze of a man she and her brother knew all to well in the past. _'Sensei.'_

 ** _To Be Continued...…._**

 ** _ **Coming soon! The intense fight between Zoro and you know who! Stay tooned for the next chapter! I hope you've all like this one, please comment and leave your thoughts. I'll see you in the next chapter!**_**


	13. Voyage 11

Lia was brought back to reality when she heard the guys yell out, "SHE DID WHAT!?"

Lia went back over to them. "What's going on?" she asked. Usopp and Luffy pulled Johnny and Yosaku out of the water. The two sprawled out wet and in tears, panting for air. Then the guys went up to them yelling.

"What did you say?!" yelled Usopp.

"For real?! Nami sailed off with the 'Going Merry'!?" asked Luffy.

 _'Wait what!?'_ thought Lia.

Then Zoro went up and demanded, "We need a straight answer, right now!"

"Well, it all happen only in a few minutes," Yosaku stared to explain.

Apparently, when Johnny and he noticed Nami observing their 'wanted' bounty posters, she tricked them into turning away so she could change clothes.

 _'Never pegged her to be so bold to change in public,'_ Lia sweat-dropped in her head as they continued.

Nami tricked them so she could push them off the ship. Then she started to sail away saying, _"If it's truly meant to be, I'll see them real soon."_ After that Don's ship had been cut. Johnny and Yosaku went on their knees in shame. "So that's the story of how Big Sis Nami stole the ship!" exclaimed Johnny.

"We're sorry," Yosaku apologized.

Zoro punched the wall of the restaurant. "Damn it! She just had to make a bad situation worse than it already is!" he sneered.

Usopp cringed in anger. "The heartless thief! Kya gave us that ship!"

Luffy stood on the railing and looked out in the distance. "Wait! I think I see it. Yep it's the 'Going Merry'!" He turned to the bounty duo. "Tell me where your boat is. "

"It's moored to the restaurant," Yosaku answered.

"Zoro, Lia, Usopp don't just stand there, take their ship and go after Nami," Luffy ordered.

Zoro turned and waved him off. "Calm down, let her keep the ship. Trust me that woman is way more trouble than she's worth," he rebuked.

"Uh, I'm stopping you right there Zoro. You forget that Prilla and some of the most valuable things we own are on the ship. There is no way I'm leaving them both," Lia growled.

"That's right and Nami is the only person I'll except at the ship's navigator. And that's final," Luffy strongly stated. Zoro and Luffy stared at each other for a moment or two, until Zoro gave in with a sigh.

"Fine I'll do it. You're one high maintenance captain, you know that? Let's go Usopp," he told the long nose.

"Uh, okay." With everything said, Johnny and Yosaku brought their ship around to them. Yosaku dropped the anchor and they both gave the crew a thumbs up.

"The ship's ready for action Big Bro Zoro," they both said.

"Hey, I think I brought Prilla's bag with me and left it on your ship last time. Could you get it for me?" Lia asked.

"You got it Big Sis Lia." Yosaku left and went inside the ship to get it.

Zoro turned to Luffy. "Hey what about you?" he asked.

"I'm staying here till I get things settled with the restaurant. You know what I mean?" Luffy stated.

 _'I should probably tell him now,'_ Lia figured.

But at that point, she heard Zeff utter, "That man is.."

Lia looked and found a familiar boat sailing into the scene. Then the whole group heard, "Don Krieg! The man that destroyed our fleet is back! What are we going to do?!" They looked to see what was going on and saw the boat as well.

When Zoro looked, he froze. Sweat forming on his face. "Tha-that's him," he stuttered. Lia could hear his heart beat harder and louder. "That man is..."

"Hey, who's that?" Luffy asked him.

"That's the man I went looking for. Hawkeye Mihawk," Zoro exclaimed.

 _'Zoro, Please don't do anything reckless. You're not ready,'_ Lia pleaded in her head.

"Hold on." She and the others turned to Usopp. "He's just looks like one ordinary man. I don't see any weapon on him at all," he pointed out.

"You're wrong Usopp," they all turned to Lia.

"He is far from ordinary. He is a true, skilled master of all arts of swordsmanship. Just underestimating him in the slightest, guarantees your fate. When the moment is right, Hawk-eye won't hesitate to strike you where you stand. As for his weapon, he always carries it on his back," Lia explained boldly, not leaving her gaze from the said man.

"You sound like you know him Big Sis Lia," Johnny deduced. Lia brought her head down, shadowing her eyes with her hair.

"More than you know Johnny," she said.

Zoro didn't listen. _'I never thought I'd meet him so soon.'_ He swallowed, holding out his sword. _'The time has come to fulfill my promise.'_

He started to walk away. "Zoro wait!" He paused. Lia ran to him and stood in his path. "Hold on and think about this. You're rushing this way too fast," she exclaimed to him with worry.

"Lia, move," he said.

Lia stood her ground. "No, I'm not letting you go and do something moronically reckless," she replied firmly.

Zoro took in a deep breath and walked up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Lia please, for Kuina." Lia froze, letting him pass. As she stood there, she recalled in her vision Zoro's and Kuina's promise.

 _'Idiot, Kuina wouldn't want you to rush things either.'_ She clenched her teeth.

"You monster, why are you doing this? What the hell have we ever done to you?!" demanded one of Krieg's men. Hawkeye turned his head and glanced to the side not really looking at the man and said,

"Just killing time."

Lia sweat-dropped. _'Casual as ever Sensei.'_

Then Krieg's pirate growled and pulled out two pistols. "Bastard!" he roared. As he aimed, Hawkeye took out his sword and pointed at him.

"Holy crap that sword is huge!" Usopp cried. The man fired his guns, but as the bullets went straight towards the swordsman, his sword guided them away and they ricocheted off the blade.

 _'Flawless as usual,'_ Lia condoned.

"What?! I missed?! But I aimed straight for him!" the man hissed.

Zoro, who appeared behind him stated, "He diverted them." The man jumped and looked at him. "He changed the course of the bullets using the tip of his sword," Zoro finished.

Hawk-eye remounted his sword and went back to acting like nothing ever happened. Zoro walked up closer to him, holding his swords proudly. "He's got three swords... he couldn't be," cowered another of Don's men.

"I've never seen a sword handled so gently or with such grace," Zoro proclaimed.

Hawkeye glanced at him. "There's no strength in sword-play based on 'force'."

 _'One of the very first lessons you taught me and Thaylim,'_ thought Lia.

Zoro continued to speak with him. "Did you also use that sword that sliced up this ship?"

"I did," Hawkeye plainly admitted.

"Then it is true, you're are the best!" Zoro stated. Hawk-eye didn't say anything. "I set out to sea for only one purpose, to meet you," he announced, pulling out his green bandanna.

"And what is your goal?" Hawkeye asked.

"To beat you," Zoro claimed strongly.

Hawkeye scoffed. "How foolish."

Zoro pulled out his sword, and directed it to him. "You've got some spare time on your hands. So let's do this!"

The 'Krieg' pirates were in shock of what they were seeing. "Whoa! No way! It's him! Roronoa Zoro! It's Zoro the 'three sword style'!" "It is?"

Luffy and Lia just stood in place watching the whole thing. "Hey Luffy, Lia we better hurry! The 'Going Merry' is about to sail right out of sight!" Usopp informed the two, but they weren't paying attention. "Luffy? Lia?"

 _'Zoro you're getting ahead of yourself!'_ Lia scorned in her thoughts.

"A fight." Hawkeye looked at Zoro unamused. "You're a weak pitiful creature," he insulted. Zoro didn't say anything as he just stood there and waited to see if he would accept the challenge or not.

Then, within seconds, Hawkeye jumped to the opposite side of the destroyed ship, a few feet from Zoro. "If you are in fact a competent swordsman, you should see the disparity in our abilities, even before we cross swords. I must ask you why have you challenged me? Is it because of your courage? Or is it your simple fool hearty ignorance?"

 _'A little of both Sensei. But mostly his-'_

"My ambition is what drives me!" Zoro answered, cutting off Lia's thoughts. He placed one of his swords in his mouth and unsheathed the other two. "Also, I've made promises I fully intend to keep," he concluded.

"There isn't a person alive who can defeat big bro!" Yosaku announced proudly.

Johnny punched his hand with an amused chuckle. "He's already the best in the world!" Lia couldn't take it any more. With out thinking, she unfurled her wings and flew right at the two.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?!" one of Krieg's men shouted, pointing at Lia in shock. "That woman has wings! Is she...?"

The cooks of the restaurant and Sanji were awed by the sight. "I used to dream of seeing a Fairy when I was a boy. And now I'm seeing one with my own eyes." "Those wings could put any sunset known to man to shame." "Those wings of her's make her even more stunning."

 _'Never in my life would I have the chance to see a beautiful fairy from the island of dreams here and now...'_ Sanji said in his thoughts.

 _'So, that woman really is a fairy. *Humff* With her in my possession, I can sail the 'Grand Line' with no problem,'_ Krieg mused evilly.

Lia landed before the two, in front of Zoro with her arms and wings out wide. "Zoro stop for a moment and think about this. You're in way over your head!" she told him. Zoro knew she was worried for him, but was still slightly annoyed with her trying to stop him twice.

"Lia-"

"Well this is an unexpected surprise," Hawkeye cut him off. "Never would I have expected to see you here Lianara," he said with a tone of recognition. Everyone around was confused.

"You know Lia?" Luffy asked, tilting his head to the side.

Hawk-eye speared him a glance then back to Lia. "I do, very well in fact. Her bother as well, both were exceptional students under my care," he claimed simply. Everyone's jaw dropped.

"Students?!" Zoro's eyes widened, he turned to Lia who had her arms down, hair shadowing her eyes, teeth clenched. "You, you were taught under him?" he probed.

Lia hesitated for a second or two, then nodded. "Yes. However that was long before we met. And I still don't have the desire to be the best, you know that." She turned to Hawk-eye. "Sensei, if you would. I'd like a moment with him before you clash blades with one another."

He nodded to her. "Granted." She nodded to him back, then turned back to Zoro. He was still dumbfounded of the new information he had heard. But he still gave Lia his attention.

"Hear me out please. Hawkeye is beyond your league. Your level of skill is no where close to his yet. I'm not doubting you or your skills in the slightest. I've seen you fight and sparred with you. You've managed to come close to beating me at times, but Hawkeye is completely different for several reasons. His level of swordsmanship goes beyond the 'East Blue', along with the other three seas. The 'Grand Line' is practically his training ground. You may have excelled over other swordsman, but you're rushing your goal way too soon. Can't you just wait till you're ready?"

She looked at him with sad pleading eyes. Zoro had never seen that look in her eyes before. The feeling of guilt and pain started to appear in him, but he pushed it aside. "I'm sorry Lia, I don't know if I'll get another chance like this. Please, step aside and let me do this," he asked sincerely.

Lia stared at him, disappointment flashed in her eyes. Not towards Zoro, but towards herself for not getting through to him. She looked to the side, took a deep breath, in-out, then faced him. "Then promise me when this is over, you won't have a shred of regret about your choice," she requested strongly, looking at him straight in the eye.

Zoro didn't flinch. "I promise." With that, Lia stepped to the side and allowed him to face her former teacher. He took his stance, readied himself before the master.

"You should have listened to her young man," Hawkeye retorted, taking off the cross around his neck.

It took Zoro off guard when the cross was revealed to be a small blade. "Funny, what do you think you're gonna do with that?" he scoffed.

"It will be more than adequate, after all you wouldn't hurt a fly with a cannon would you?" Hawkeye mocked him. "You may have quite the reputation here in the 'East Blue', but that doesn't mean much to me I'm afraid. It is by far the weakest of the four." He gave Zoro a fake sympathetic look. "Unfortunately I don't carry any other blade smaller than this one."

"He's stronger then he looks Sensei," Lia informed him.

Hawkeye scoffed at that. "I'll be the judge of that Lianara."

That did it for Zoro, now fuming with anger. "I've had just about enough of your attitude." He clenched his jaw, rushed at Hawk-eye with the intent to kill. "Now you die!"

Hawkeye glared at him. "You have no idea how big and cruel the world really is."

Zoro readied his attack. "Oni Geri!" He struck, but it was short lived when his attack was halted. Hawk-eye stood there without a care in the world with his arm held out, blade in hand. Zoro was shocked; all three of his swords had been stopped by the tip of the man's little blade. He couldn't move his swords within an inch.

Luffy and the others were shocked.

"What!? Big Bro's 'Oni Geri was stopped?!" "But- but that's crazy! That attack never fails to stop an enemy! What's going on here?!" Johnny and Yosaku shouted. Lia just stayed at the side lines, watching the whole thing play out.

 _'I told you Zoro, you not close to his level yet,'_ she thought sadly.

Zoro was fuming in his thoughts. _'There's no way our skills are that far apart!'_ He backed off a bit then charged at Hawk-eye once more. "Arrrrrgh! I am not that far behind the 'worlds strongest'!" he roared.

They clashed blades for a few minutes. Zoro was going all out where as Hawkeye was barely breaking a sweat. For one second, Zoro tripped.

"Huh?!" "You're just toying with him right?! Fight for real Big Bro!" "Big Bro!"

Lia looked over at the duo. _'No, Sensei is toying with him. He doesn't see Zoro as a true swordsmen, yet._ '

She looked over at Zoro next. "You can't be that much better then me!" he scorned.

 _'Come on Zoro, you need to show Sensei what you really are! With the strength of your heart, not your ambition!'_ Zoro got up and attacked again.

The two continued to fight. "Such ferocious sword play," Hawkeye deduced. When Zoro swung at Hawk-eye again, he missed and was about to fall again, but not before Hawkeye struck him on the back of the neck, stunning Zoro in pain.

Lia flinched, clenching her fists. Zoro shakily got back up and swung his sword at Hawkeye, only to fall down once more when he stepped to the side.

"What is it? What sort of heavy weight do you carry upon your shoulders? Speak up weakling!" Hawkeye demanded. Zoro flinched in anger.

"How dare you call Big Bro Zoro weakling! You'll pay for that!" sneered Yosaku.

"We'll teach you a lesson!" shouted Johnny.

They both were about to interfere when Luffy pulled them back and held them down.

 _'Thanks Luffy, the less they interfere the better,'_ Lia thanked.

Zoro got back up and faced Hawkeye. "No way, I won't lose. I refuse to be defeated," he growled. Both swordsman stood their ground, then Zoro prepared an attack.

"Tiger! Trap!" But his swords didn't meet with their opponent. In one swift movement, Hawkeye used his knife and pierced Zoro... right near the heart. Lia paled, not knowing how to react. She was about to take a step forward.

"Stay where you are Lianara," Hawkeye ordered her.

Though he didn't look her way, he felt her concern for Zoro and knew she might interfere. Blood dripped off of the blade and from Zoro's mouth. "You were defeated yet you won't step back, why not?" Hawkeye asked.

"I don't know. But I will not run, even if I retreat a single step, I would be shattering the promises I've made. I can't run, I would lose my honor and who I hold dear. You see, without that there would be nothing left for me," Zoro stated strongly.

Hawkeye stared at him. "That's the what defeat is."

Zoro laughed. "Then I won't except it." Neither of them flinched.

"Then you'll die," Hawkeye hissed.

"I'd rather die than give up!" Zoro proclaimed.

"Zoro," Lia whispered

Hawkeye was impressed with Zoro's words. Then for a second, he saw a familiar face in Zoro. _'A strong heart indeed. He chooses death before defeat. Just like he did,'_ he mused in his thoughts, while pulling the knife out of Zoro.

He took a few steps back, and put the knife away. "Sir, state your name," he demanded.

 _'Wait, is he?!'_ Lia began to feel distraught.

Before Zoro answered, he made a stance and positioned his sword for one final move. "I am, Roronoa Zoro," he stated.

Hawkeye reached for his sword. "I'll remember it. No one as strong as you other than Thaylim has come around in quite some time." He pulled out the sword. "So as a swordsman's courtesy, I'll use the world's strongest black sword to finish you," he implied boldly.

"No," Lia feared.

"Thank you, I appreciate it," Zoro thanked.

"Look! He took it out!" "That's the sword that sliced up the ship." The 'Krieg' pirates whispered to one another.

 _'So this is it. I'll either the be the world's strongest, or dead,'_ Zoro thought. He looked over to Lia, who stared at him with pleading sad eyes. _'Lia, if this is the end for me, I'm sorry that I couldn't help you with your goals,'_ he apologized deeply.

 _'No, this- this can be the end for you. I just got back to you, I don't want to lose you like I lost Thaylim!'_ Lia pleaded in her head. Hawkeye readied his sword. Luffy and the other were tense.

"Enough Big Bro! Stop this! Please!" Johnny begged.

"Three sword style secret technique." Zoro started to spin his swords. Hawkeye charged at him.

"Fall!" "Three thousand worlds!" Both swung their blades. All was quiet and they both kept their stances, until two of Zoro's swords shattered and blood gushed from his chest.

Dropping his form, he knelt down, bearing with the pain. _'I lost.'_ He took his one sword from his mouth and slid it back in it's sheath. _'Never in my life did imagine I'd lose.'_ Hawkeye speared him a glace. _'So this is the power of the greatest in the world. Lia, I'm sorry I disappointed you.'_

Zoro stood up, turned to face Hawkeye, and held his arms up, giving him the last strike. Hawkeye was bewildered. "But why?" he asked.

Zoro smiled at him. "Scars on the back are a swordsman's shame," he stated.

Hawkeye grinned back. "Fine."

"Sensei no!" But Lia's cry was too late. Hawkeye brought his sword down upon Zoro and slashed a crossed his chest, quick and deep. Blood went flying,

"ZOOOOROOOOOOOOOOO!" Luffy screamed.

"As Lianara has said, you shouldn't have rushed things young man," Hawkeye said simply.

"Zoro!" cried Usopp.

"Big Bro!" Johnny and Yosaku cried together.

"NNOOOOOOOOO!" Luffy dreadfully yelled. Images flashed in Lia's eye's memories of how she lost her brother played in her head. Now, seeing Zoro fall into the water was like history repeating itself in front of her.

 _'Why!?'_ Sanji growled in his thoughts. _'His opponent was way out of his league. Lia even warned him about it. How this fight would end was clear from the start, why choose death?!'_ he chastised. "Don't be so stupid! Just give up your ambition and live damn it!" he yelled.

Lia was in a state of pure distress. "No." Her voice shook. "No, NO ZORO NO!" She ran to the water, hoping to save him. But when she got close, a hand strongly grabbed her. And she was pulled to a firm chest.

"You're acting rashly Lianara," Hawkeye told her.

"AND FOR GOOD REASON!" she scorned at him, trying to break free of his hold.

"You still have your wings out. If I hadn't stopped you from acting carelessly, they would have dragged you down and your attempt to save him would have been in vain," he pointed out.

"Big Bro!" Both Johnny and Yosaku dove in for Zoro. Lia halted her movements and watched the two go after Zoro.

 _'He's right, if a fairy's wings were to get wet, they would act like anchors and sink me down.'_

Luffy shook in pure anger. "Damn you." He reared his arm back, stretched it as it swung across to grab the broken railing behind Hawkeye.

"He must be some kind of freak!" exclaimed one of the cooks. Sanji's jaw dropped.

"So that loud-mouth little twerp has the power of a 'Devil fruit'," Krieg figured. Luffy came in flying towards Hawkeye, hoping to get him. But he stepped to the side with Lia still in his hold.

"Bastar-" He was cut off by crashing into part of the ship.

He ended up getting his head stuck in the wood. Luffy tried hard to get out. "Are you that young worrier's comrade? I'm impressed with you, for not interfering," Hawkeye mentioned. Soon Luffy freed his head and fell to the floor.

"There's nothing to be upset about you two. Your friend will live." Both Lia and Luffy looked and saw Johnny and Yosaku floating above the water with Zoro in their hands.

"Big Bro, say something please!" Yosaku begged.

"Zoro!" Luffy cried out. Zoro coughed up blood. "Zorooo!" Luffy yelled.

Johnny and Yosaku swam back to their boat, Usopp reached out to help. "Come on, lets hurry up and get him out of the water!" As they did that, Hawkeye released Lia. As soon as he did, Lia flew straight to the boat and saw Zoro's state.

Lia paled. Hawkeye's final blow to him was long and deep. Starting at his left shoulder down across to his right side. It was more fatal than his other two wounds. Usopp returned with medical treatment. "I got some medicine, here!" He placed it down. Lia looked up to Yosaku.

"Where's the bag? There's an item in it that will help Zoro," she said to him lowly, shadowing her eyes.

Yosaku shivered a bit. "R-Right! I'll go get it!" And with that he rushed inside to fetch it.

"It is still far too early for you to die," Lia heard her mentor say out loud. "My name is Hawkeye Mihawk! You are indeed strong, but there is still much for you to learn. No matter how many years it may take, I will still hold this title as the 'Greatest in the world' and wait for you. Until the time is right and the day comes, you must hone your skills. Then, SEEK ME OUT! RORONOA ZORO!" he declared.

 _'I've never seen Sensei give someone such high regards,'_ Lia thought.

"Please say something?! Anything!" Yosaku and Johnny pleaded (Yosaku forgot to bring the bag).

"Zoro," Lia uttered, gently taking his left hand in hers in the brink of tears.

Hawkeye turned to Luffy. "You, what is your goal?" he asked.

Without hesitation, Luffy answered, "To be the 'King'. And crown Lia the next ruler."

Hawkeye smirked at him. "Your ambitions are even loftier then your friend's, those are quite the tasks. You are aware that her father will test you for them," he said.

"Yeah, I know. So you just let me worry about that," Luffy retorted, sticking out his tongue.

"He's alive!" shouted Usopp, after he gave Zoro the medicine. "There, he was just unconscious," he stated.

Yosaku and Johnny were in tears. "Big Bro." "If you're alive then say something!" they whimpered.

"Zoro, please," said Lia, holding his hand tightly.

Unexpectedly, Zoro unsheathed one sword and raised it in the air. "Luffy...Can you hear me?" he huffed, panting to regain his breath.

"Yeah!" Luffy answered.

" *huff* I'm sorry for disappointing you, I know that you needed nothing less then the 'Greatest swordsmen in the world'...I've let you and Lia down, *huff* please forgive me..." Zoro managed to say before coughing up more blood.

"Zoro! That's enough! You've made your point!" Lia cried, trying to calm him down.

"Okay! Okay you can stop saying things now!" "Big Bro!" The duo urged him to stop.

Zoro released Lia's hand and brought it up to his fore-head. Tears started to stream down his face.

"Zoro," said Lia.

"I solemnly swear, from this moment forward... That I will never lose again! *huff* Until the day comes, when I will defeat him and take his title. I will never, never be defeated! IS THAT OKAY?! KING OF THE PIRATES AND QUEEN OF THE FAIRIES?!" he shouted.

Lia looked at him with a soft smile and tears on her face. Luffy grinned and chuckled. "YEP!" he said.

"Without a doubt Zoro," Lia replied.

Hawkeye looked at Luffy. "You three are a good team," he exclaimed, turning around to his boat. "I hope I'll see you again someday." Before walked off, he then turned to Lia. "I hope you're aware Lianara, your brother Thaylim was one of the finest men I ever had the honor to train. Please be sure to give him my sincere condolences."

Lia smiled at him and nodded. "I will, thank you Sensei," she thanked.

Suddenly, Krieg stopped and stood behind Hawkeye. "Hey! Hawkeye. I was under the impression that you'd come here to take my life. Weren't you here to kill 'Don Krieg', ruler of the 'East Blue'?" he asked.

"Egotistical much?" Lia lowly snarked. Hawkeye inwardly agreed with her the glanced at Krieg.

"The thought had cross my mind at first... But I've had enough fun for today, so I'm returning home to get some rest," he replied.

Krieg cracked his neck and grinned maliciously. "I don't care if you've had enough, I haven't even gotten started."

"He's way out of line now," Lia growled. His men tried to change his mind but it was no use. Krieg got out his guns and aimed at Hawkeye.

"Now it's time to Die!" he cried out firing.

Hawkeye grabbed his sword. "He just won't learn will he?"

An explosion occurred, destroying more of what was left of the galleon. Lia and the guys ducked in cover on their boat until the waves settled. Lia used her body to keep Zoro from moving and keep water from getting on him.

"Usopp! Lia!" Luffy shouted out.

"Luffy?!" they both cried back.

"You guys go on ahead! I'll leave Nami to you."

Usopp waved at him with his hat in hand. "Roger that! Don't you worry about a thing! Lia, Zoro and I are gonna get her and Prilla right back! And make sure to get that cook to join our crew! And then, on the 'Going Merry', the seven of us will set sail to the 'Grand Line!" Usopp cheered, throwing Luffy's hat him.

Luffy reached out and caught his hat. "HE, he Yeah! Let's do it!" he cheered back.

"Luffy! Make sure you teach the Krieg a lesson for me will you?!" Lia shouted at him, as their boat was sailing off.

"Don't worry Lia! I will!" Luffy replied back.

And soon, the Baratie and the wrecked galleon was out of sight. Lia kept looking at it's direction, hoping Luffy would be alright. "Hey Lia, could you give me a hand on helping Zoro?" she heard Usopp ask her from behind.

"Right," she sighed, turning around.

She looked to see Zoro propped against the side of the boat, with his shirt off. Lia looked away for a second, a blush dusting her face. She took a deep breath and turned to face him again. His wounds continued to bleed. _'If only you weren't so reckless,'_ Lia sighed in her head.

Then Lia turned to Yosaku. "Did you get the bag like I asked?" Yosaku went frantic for a moment then remembered.

"It's right here Big sis!" he claimed, grabbing from the side of the boat's galley to her. Lia rummaged through it, until she found what she was looking for.

"Gotcha." She pulled out a fancy vile that contained shiny blue liquid.

"What is that Big Sis Lia?" Johnny asked.

"It's pure fresh 'Avalon' water with a touch of Healing herbs and a spell." She uncorked it and used her magic to make the water fly out of the vile and around her hand.

"Will it make Big Bro better?" Yosaku asked.

"I'm planning on it," she replied. Lia guided the water to Zoro's chest and made it spread. Once it covered his entire chest, the water started to glow.

"Whoa," awed the boys. The first two wounds Zoro had received stopped bleeding and closed up as if they had never been there. However the slash he got from Hawkeye at the end didn't go away, it just stopped bleeding.

 _'That's definitely gonna scar,'_ Lia figured. When she was done, Lia put the water back in the vial.

Zoro softly groaned, "That felt good." He smirked at her.

"Big bro!" "You're saved!" Johnny and Yosaku cried, embracing him.

"Let go! You morons!" Zoro snapped.

"Usopp, do you have any thread and a needle?" Lia asked.

Usopp looked at her, tilting his head. "Yeah, why?" Lia turned her gaze at Zoro, he sweat-dropped.

"Well, it's because the water can only do so much and we need that wound to close so he won't bleed out," she explained.

Usopp figured out what she meant. "Got it." He nodded to her. Then she turned to the duo.

"Yosaku, I need you to keep a look out for the 'Going Merry'. Johnny, you are to keep this boat on the same course as the ship," Lia directed.

The two saluted to her. "Yes Big Sis Lia! We're on it!" They ran off to their jobs. Usopp came up to her and handed her the thread and needle.

"Here you go Lia," he said, giving her the stuff.

"Thanks Usopp. Could you help Yosaku with looking for the ship?" she asked threading the needle already.

"Way ahead of you," he said pulling out a spy-glass and walking off. Lia smiled, then proceeded to her objective. Holding out the needle, she whispered something in a language Zoro didn't understand.

"Lach- ignite." The finger of her other hand lit with a small flame.

"Is that, really necessary?" Zoro questioned, as Lia warmed up the needle with the flame.

Lia gave him a deadpanned look. "You want that to open up on you on your next fight?" she retorted.

"Good point," he admitted. Lia sighed as she started to sew up his wound. Zoro flinched a few times but didn't stop her. The two were quiet for a few moments, until finally Zoro spoke.

"So, you were Hawkeye's student?" Lia sighed again.

"Well to be more clear, Thaylim was more of his student then me. I just happened to be there for his lessons. No one told me I couldn't pay attention to them." Zoro laughed at that, then all was quiet again.

"I'm sorry." Lia stopped half way and looked at Zoro. "I'm sorry for not listening to you. I've let my ambition get the better of my judgment," Zoro apologized. Lia finished with her stitching, then threw herself onto him. It took Zoro by surprised.

"You wanna know what I saw when Sensei did that last attack?" Zoro stayed quite as Lia went on. "I saw the scene where I lost Thaylim, the very moment he gave his life to save our group. I was right there, letting it all play out. I could have saved him. Seeing you fall into the water, wounded heavily like that, it was like history replaying itself in front of me."

Zoro was speechless. _'The last thing I wanted was to hurt you Lia,'_ he scolded to himself. Lia started to shake with tears.

"I've already lost one person important to me. Don't you ever try including yourself on that list!" she tearfully demanded. His eyes were shadowed, then he brought his hand over to her head and embraced her.

Lia was surprised and she heard Zoro say, "The last thing I want, is to see you in tears. I promised your brother I wouldn't make you cry."

This shocked Lia. "When did you-?"

He cut her off. "About a month before you left the island." Lia was silent for a moment.

"Just, don't ever pull a stunt like that again."

Zoro huffed a chuckle. "As we have the same idiot for a captain, I don't think I can make such promises."

A blank deadpanned expression appeared on Lia's face. "Right. And I have a feeling he's more of a 'trouble magnet' man than a 'rubber' man," she joked. Zoro laughed at that. Later on, Lia had just finished wrapping Zoro in a bandage when Johnny came in.

"Um. Big Bro, Big Sis, we got a problem," he uttered.

"What is it?" the two asked at the same time, making them both blush.

Yosaku joined them. "It's the course that Big Sis Nami is on." Lia lifted a brow at them.

"What's so bad about it?" she asked.

The two nervously fidgeted, then Johnny answered, "We believe she's heading to the 'Fishman pirate' Arlong."

That name brought back some memories of her brother. _'Thaylim use to talk about a fishman named Arlong. Along with two others named, Tiger and Jimbie. But what's Arlong doing in the "East Blue"?'_ Lia questioned.

"Then we might be in a little more trouble then we thought," Zoro figured, getting up to face the front.

"What makes you say that?" Lia asked him.

"Because, he practically rules the 'East Blue'. In a more dangerous and terrifying way," he replied darkly.

 _'Just how much went on in this ocean that me and Prilla missed?'_ Lia asked herself as she and the guys stared off into the distance, towards a whole new conflict ahead of them.

 ** _To Be Continued...….._**

 ** **Soon, you guys are gonna see Lia and Prilla in action in the next chapters! So hang tight! And I'll see you in the next adventure!****


	14. Voyage 12

The duo and Usopp started to cower in fear. "Do- do we really have to go to this guy?" Usopp quivered. "You want the 'Merry back or not?" Zoro rebuked harshly. Lia was still staring out in the distance. She felt a hand on her shoulder, it was Zoro. "You alright?" he asked. Lia relaxed and nodded. "Yeah, just thinking." she said.

"Um Big sis Lia?" She turned to Yosaku. "Yeah?" "Do you by chance know Jimbie? Like you know Hawkeye?" he asked. Lia shook her head. "No sorry, I've only heard of him through my brother since he used to meet him along with other fishmen he spoke of. But other then that, no I don't know him personally." she answered.

Johnny thought about it for a moment, "Would one of those fishmen he meet be Arlong?" he asked. "Yes, only back when he knew Along from another pirate crew. Nether of us knew he went solo." she told him. "Do you guys have information you need to fill us in on?" Usopp asked the two. Johnny and Yosaku pondered in thought for a minute.

Then Johnny spoke out, "Think it's best for you guys to know from the beginning. One of the reasons the 'Grand Line is called the 'Pirate Graveyard is because of Arlong and two other powerful forces." Yosaku nodded as he said his half.

"One of those powerful forces its the 'Seven Warlords. They're super strong pirates that are authorized by the government." Lia and Usopp tilted their heads. "Authorized by the Government?" the two questioned. "Why would these pirates want the government approval on anything they do?" Usopp probed. "That and I thought the government hated pirates." Lia assumed.

"For the pirates, protection." the two looked over at Zoro, who had his arms crossed and head down. As if he's deep in thought. "In exchange for a fair share of their treasure, the government will look the other way and allowing them to exist. Though in all honesty, to other pirates and some civilians. The warlords are considered the governments 'lap dogs. However they are far from weak." he finished.

Johnny and Yosaku nodded. "That's right, and one of them you've already met." Yosake pointed out. "Sensei is one of the warlords?" Lia questioned, slightly surprised. "Yeah, and the other you should know about in Jimbie. He's the captain of the main fishman pirates. He's ten times more dangerous then Arlong, and he's responsible for letting Arlong lose." Johnny added.

Usopp started to shake in his boots. "Just how dangerous is Arlong?" Yosaku answered him with a fearful expression on his face. "Very, he already has taken control over twenty towns since coming into the 'East Blue. His strength and power is devastating. Him alone surpass all other pirates you've guys encountered including Don Krieg."

This news got Lia wondering. "If he's as dreadful as you two prescribed, then why would Nami go after him all by her self defenseless?" she asked. "She's not as defenseless as she looks." Both Zoro and Usopp drawled with a sweat-drop, Lia did as well at them.

"We think she might be after the bounty that's on his head, along with the treasure he has. She is a pirate thief after all." Johnny assumed. "Yeah, she always kept looking at his wanted poster when she thought no one was looking. Although there was something off the way she stared at it." Yosaku pointed out.

"This sounds like something Luffy needs to know. Along with Sanij if he managed to convince him." Lia summed up, then looked at the boys. "So, who's gonna go over there and tell him so he's aware?" They looked among themselves, troubled on how to figure that out.

Then Usopp asked, "Exactly how is one of us gonna do that?" Lia wondered that herself, till something caught her eye. "Hold that thought for a sec, in the meantime," She pointed to Usopp, Johnny, and Yosaku. "You three need to figure out who's going to get Luffy."

"Uh?" she walked off before any of them could say something. Lia went over to the back of the ship and looked over the waters. Then she saw what caught her eye earlier. 'Hope you'll help.' she thought. She brought her hands to her mouth and called out to it. "AH-AH-AH-AH~"

A shadow in the distance appeared in the water, then started to come her way. "What are you doing Lia?" Usopp asked as he and the other boys walked up to her. "Umm, What's that?" Yosaku quivered, pointing at the coming shadow.

Johnny and Usopp cowered back as Zoro was about to draw out his sword. "Stand down. And watch." Lia told him. All of a sudden, the face of a Pan shark popped out of the water in front of them. "AHHHHH! A SHARK!" three of the boys cried.

"Did you call this thing over?" Zoro asked Lia. "Yep." she turned to the cowering men who held onto each other for dear life. "Would you guys knock it off, he wont hurt you unless you provoke him." Lia deadpanned.

They all calmed down then went over to see the fish. "Why did you call a Pan Shark over here Big Sis?" Johnny asked. "He'll be carrier for whoever is going to get Luffy. Now did you guys decide?" she turned to them.

Both Usopp and Johnny pointed to Yosaku. "HUH?!" he shouted, eyes bulging. "Don't worry Yosaku, he'll guide you safely to Luffy. As long as you stay clear of his mouth." Lia informed. Yosaku hesitantly looked over to the shark, the said fish glared at him and he started to cry. _'Why me?'_

"Good luck bro." "Hope to see you with Luffy and the cook." Johnny and Usopp waved Yosaku off. "You guys are jerks you know that!" Yosaku yelled from the shark's back. "You sure about this Lia?" Zoro asked.

"You got any better idea's?" she asked back in a tone. Soon Yosaku was off on the Pan Shark. "Should we start planning his funeral?" Johnny asked Usopp. Before Usopp could answer, both were struck to the head. "You guys have such little faith in others." Lia scorned. She started to walk off, "Zoro come on, lets go change your bandages."

Zoro hummed with a smile on his face, "Whatever." he walked after her. "You think your sister will be alright?" he asked as she started to take off his damp wrappings. "Oh ho, ho, don't you worry. If there's one thing I know about Prill, she'll use her 'think outside the box method to get herself out of tuff spots. Believe me she's done it before several times." Lia chuckled

Some time later, off in the distance. A little 'cooking boat was heading towards the same direction of the others. Luffy has successfully gained a cook for his crew and now was heading to get his navigator back.

Yosaku had just finished explaining to him and Sanji about Arlong, or at least tried to. Relizing it was in vain he slowtched in defeat. Soon Sanji asked what they wanted for lunch, while they shouted their requests and him cooking...

"Huh? Hey guys what's that?" Yosaku asked. "What's what?" Luffy and Sanji asked looking over to where he was pointing at. Just over the boat was a pink mist like cloud that sparkled.

"WHOOOOOA!" Luffy awed, "That's a new one." Sanji stated scratching his head. Suddenly the cloud poofed into nothing and a loud thud was heard on the roof. "Owwww." they heard a voice groan.

All three men looked over the roof and found that it was none other then Prilla with Izzy on her head. "Well Iz….at least we're not stuck in the greenhouse anymore." she moaned, rubbing her now sore bottom. "Prilla? Is that you?" Luffy asked. She turned to them.

"Oh hey Luffy, Hey Yosaku." she greeted. Then she saw Sanji, "Joinng us after all Sanji?" she smailed at him and her laughed back. "Yes in deed princess. Was that pick cloud your doing?" she asked her.

Prilla suddenly got on her feet and smiled into the air with her nose held high. "Yep! What you guys witnessed was my first, and successful attempt of a transportation spell." she said, sounding quite proud of herself.

Izzy squeaked at her and she pouted, "Yeah I know I need to work on my landing. Don't ruining my moment." the men laughed at her. "So anyway, why are you here Prilla?" Luffy asked. She looked over to him, "Oh because I was stuck in the Greenhouse. For some reason, Nami locked my and Sakura in it while sailed away with the 'Going Marry." Prilla explained. "What happened little sis?" Yosaku was the next to ask.

"Well...it happened like this... I was taking a nap in my bed when I suddenly hear noises outside. I walked over to the door to see what was going on, but when I tried to open the door it was locked from the outside. I saw Nami walking away to the gully, putting the key in her pocket. I shouted for her to let me out, she barley turned her head to me. Then she opened her mouth saying, "I'm sorry...but there's some unfinished business I need to take care of." And she didn't come back since. Not waiting for anything to happen, I went into Li's potion workshop and started to make the transportation spell." She finished.

"Unfinished business?" Luffy questioned. "I'm just telling ya what I heard." she replied. "Just what business does Big sis Nami have with Arlong the fishman?" Yosaku asked in disbelief. Sanji wasn't there with them, he was busy making food in the back.

"Wait Arlong? That who Nami is going to?" Prilla questioned. "You know him Prill?" Luffy turned to her. The little girl shook her head, "Not really, but Thaylim talked about someone with that name during his adventures. To be honest I don't really know any much of the marine life folks in the human world. Just the magic ones."

"What are the mermaids like in your world little princess?~" Sanji asked with blush on his face and a stupid smile. Luffy and Yosaku sweat-dropped, whereas Prilla had no problem with. "Oh their really pretty, especaily their tails. Not one I've seen were that same. But you'd becarful around some of them. Remember what Li said, there are good and bad magic folk out there that you'd want to avoid." she pointed out.

"Like what? Witches?" Sanji brought up, "Witches, goblins, orcs-" "Orcs?" the boys tilted their heads at her. "What are orcs?" Yosaku asked. "They're a relative species of ogre, just more carnivorous for human or Fae flesh. They can also be the ideal worriors for an army." she explained.

Yosaku stood up and pointed at Prilla. "At that, is one of the reasons why the 'Grand Line is called the 'Pirate Graveyard!" he proclaimed. Prilla folded her arms, "Maybe, but now with me and Li part of this crew. You guys don't need to worry about that." she smiled.

"You and Lia are strong aren't you." Luffy smiled back. She beamed at him, "Mmhmm, and when we start the battle that's probably coming your gonna see just how strong we are."

Back with Lia and the others, they were soon approaching the Island that their friend went to. Zoro just sat at the front of the boat with his back facing the said island. Lia flew off looking ahead for the 'Marry. Where as Johnny and Usopp hid. They peeked over to see the island.

"Alright, here we are. *gulp* that's 'Arlong park ahead." he informed in fear. Then Usopp looked over, "A-Arlong park? The fishman pirate from the 'Grand Line? I really, really hope Nami is here." he whippered.

"Alright, before we do anything stupid, we should wait for big sis Lia to tell us if the 'Going Marry and big sis Nami are really on this island." Johnny suggested. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Usopp agreed. Zoro got up with his sword. "Let's Attack." he said with determination.

Johnny's and Usopp's jaws dropped and their eyes were bulging at Zoro who just sweat-dropped at their actions. " DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME!? I JUST SAID WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING STUPID!" Johnny hollered.

"YOU IDIOT! WE DON"T KNOW A SINGLE THING ABOUT THIS ISLAND AND YOU WANT TO BLINDLY ATTACK!? WE NEED TO THINK OF A PLAN WHEN LIA GETS BACK!" Usopp did the same.

"While the two of you are doing thatalong with whimpering and cowering. I'm gonna focous on the battle ahead of us. Luffy told me to bring back Nami and I'm gonna do just that. Along with bringing Prilla back safely." Zoro declared facing the island.

Johnny and Usopp looked at each other in doubt. "Let's go!" before Zoro did anything, he was hit in the head by two mallets, curtisy of the other two men. Falling back, out like a light, they dragged him to the gully and tied him to the frame. "Sorry big bro, but's its for your own good." Johnny stated, Usopp nodded in agreement.

"Care to explain that whole thing?" they yelped as they jumped back and turned around to see Lia standing behind them with her arms cros and looking at them with a stern look on her face.

Both men were a sweating mess as they tried to find the right words to explain. "I understand we need to think of a plan, but knocking out Zoro is not part of it." she lectured. "He wanted to attack the palce head on! What did you expect us to do!?" Usopp hollored at her.

"Oh I don't know, maybe hold him back till I get here so I could reason with him?" I rebuked. That made him and Johnny sweat dropp, realizing she had a very good point. "So uh Big sis," she turned to Johnny, "Did you find the ship?" he asked. She nodded, "Yeah, is just east from this part of the island." I told them.

"Perfect! We'll head for there." Usopp declared. As he stired the ship, Lia went over to untie Zoro. "Geez, why are men so hard-headed." she grumbled under her breath. "How they were able to knock you out without much effort or you not noticing is beyond me." However those words bit her back when she was suddenly struck from the back as well and her world went black.

As Lia started to come to, she noticed that she was in the cabin. When sitting up, a huge head-ache came to her like a water fall. "Ohhhh that's gonna hurt for a while. When I get my hands on Usopp, he'll be my test dummy for my next 'spell experiment." she seethed with venom.

Lia got up and went over to the door, when she tried to open it. "Right... They tied Zoro to the cabin in front." she drawled. She started to knock on the frame. "Usopp! Johnny! Untie Zoro and open the door right now!" she hollered.

"You guys did not lock Lia in the cabin!?" she heard Zoro growl at the said men. "We had to, if you were to wake up and attack, she might have sided with you." Usopp poorly whispered. "You have to be the biggest coward in the human world I've ever met!" Lia roared.

"Agreed! And why the hell did we pass?! We could have docked there!" she heard Zoro yell again. "Let me guess, fish-men?" she asked in a bored tone. She heard Usopp agree, "Right and it would safe to assume that they're part of Arlong's crew! So we can't stop here!" soon his voice was muffled, "Do not yell at me!" Zoro yelled again.

"If there are fish-men here, then Arlong must have control of the entire island so now what?" Johnny asked. "Umm we could just say we couldn't find Nami and Prilla flew off looking for us." Usopp suggested.

"Yeah good luck with that lie since I'm still in here. Untie Zoro now and Open the damn door right now or so help me I'll have Sakura make kindling out of you two!" Lia roared, banging on the door. "What she said!" Zoro agreed.

Then a faint sound of something jumping in the water was heard in the distance. "Gah! Let's run!" "Okay!" Lia heard Usopp and Johnny say. Lia was about to snap, "Oh no don't even dare!"

But it was to late, she heard the two jump the ship. "HEY YOU TWO GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW OR YOUR BOTH GONNA DIE!" Zoro roared after them in vain. "Ho, ho don't worry Zoro. They're as good as dead when I get my hands on them." Lia growled.

Suddenly, something jumped on the ship. Listening closely, Lia found it was fish-men. "Just this one guy? What wit the restraints?" one questioned in a ruff voice. "Maybe he got stupid while drifting to far." the other guessed.

Zoro told him he was right while trying his best not to look angry after what happened earlier. "Let's take him to Arlong." one of them suggested. _'Need to think of something and fast.'_ Lia thought frantic. Then she got an idea.

Gentilly knocking on the door, "Um excuse me? Who's ever out there could you please untie the man that's in front of this door." she asked nicely. "Hmm? What's going on here?" asked the ruff voice fish-man. After a few minutes, the door finally opened. "Oh thank you, sorry about all this. The two of us got caught in our friends silly prank back at a sea restaurant. They locked me in the cabin while tying him up drunk."

Zoro was impressed that Lia was able to think of an alibi so quickly. He look over to the two thugs, and noticed that they were buying it. Also he noticed they were blushing two. 'What never saw a woman?' he inwardly joked, 'She could give Nami the run for her money without worrying about a thing.' he smiled.

One of the fish-men spoke, "So they thought it would be eve funnier by making you two drift off?" they guessed. "Pretty much, but be for that we where also looking for a friend of ours who left us without warning. So seeing as this was the closest island, I was wondering if you've seen any one else before us?" she asked without giving herself or Zoro away.

 _'Damn, if I didn't know Lia I would be believing this for word myself.'_ Zoro mentality whistled

The blue fishman with the big jaw rubbed the back of his head. "Can't say that we have miss, we could go over to our boss. You could ask him, he runs this island." he offered. Lia gave him a small, kind smile. "That would be terrific. Thank you."

Meanwhile back with Luffy, Prilla and the others. "I appreciate your help princess." Sanji thanked as he tossed some sier fried rice. Prilla beamed at him, "Don't sweat it, I sometimes help out in our palace chef's kitchen." she stated.

"Now tell me, are you and your sister Lia vegetarians?" he asked checking on the meat in the oven. Luffy and Yosaku drooled over as they watched from the outside window.

"Yes, well we do still eat some meat. But only in small portions. The only meals I had that had meat was my nanny's veggie-pork dumplings, chicken and rice more rice then chicken. Oh! and fried butterfly-shrimp! Lia love's those." Prilla told him, setting up the plates.

"Dose she now." he said, lifting up a grape for Izzy who was on the wall next to him. She licked her maw then stuck her tongue out, snatching the fruit out of his fingers. While eating it, she turned purple. Well part of her did, the rest of her body turned into different shades of purple. Sanji laughed at the sight.

"He, he word of warning about Izzy. She likes to snatch food from you when you least expect it." Prilla informed him as they both walked out of the cabin with the food. "I'll keep that in mind princess." he smiled.

She shook her head. "You don't need to call me that, just call me Prill." she told him. "I think I'll stick with what I call you, little princess.~" he teased. Prilla stuck her tongue at him while placing the food on the table.  
"Yummy! Let's eat!" Luffy declared as he grabbed the meat with the bone. "For you little princess. I've made a nine vegetable terrine, just for you. And a bowl of assorted fruits for your little friend here." Sanji said placing the dishes gently in front of them.

Prilla and Izzy wasted no time eating. "This is delicious, thank you Snaji." Izzy squealed at him with a bright smile, while munching on a blueberry. "Of course." he replied. "Yeah thanks'!" Yosaku spoke out.

Sanji started to poor a glass of wine for himself. "Whatever, I don't really care for you two nitwits. I'm just warming up my skills so I can prepare a wonderful dinner for Nami, Lia and myself." he said.

Prilla and Izzy both sweat dropped at him. 'Yeah... good luck with that for Li.' Prilla deadpanned. Then "I hope we find Nami for the crew and soon. She's the best." Yosaku swooned as he ate.

"Of course we will. I mean she is our navigator after all." Luffy stated, ripping off whats left of the meat from the bone. "And you can't have a pirate crew without a navigator." Prilla chimed. "Right." Luffy said with his mouth full.

As he went to have his other piece, Yosaku snatched it away from him. "Hey! That's mine!" "You just had your piece, I'm taking this one. It's only fair." Yosaku mocked. "But I ordered it so it's mine!" Luffy yelled chasing after him.

"Knock it off! You gonna make me spill my wine!" Sanji yelled at them, "Just ignore them, they'll stop eventully." Prilla said. " *Sigh* I don't know why I even bother to give them nice things." he sighed begrudgingly.

Then, Prilla stopped eating as she looked around. "Hmm, everything alright princess?" Sanji asked, noticing the girls distress. "I don't know if my instinks are playing tricks on me but I thought I felt danger near us." she told him getting all defencive. "Your probably still a little shaken from using the spell from earlier." he guessed. However the little fairy didn't think so.

"Open the gate! We have some human's Arlong needs to see!" One of the fishmen called out. Lia stood next to him whereas Zoro was still siting on the dock all tied up. "Is this really necessary?" Lia asked, holding up her wrists that were also tide.

The fishman who had some sort of dangly thing on his head nervously replied, "Sorry miss, but we have to take precautions." She sighed, "Alright, I guess I don't blame you." Both she and Zoro looked ahead as they both sailed into Arlong park.

They were guided off the boat and onto a stone dock that was just in font of the structure. There siting before them was the terrifying fishman himself, Arlong. Lia couldn't help but stare at his nose for a second. 'So, they really do take on the appearances of marine life.' she stated as she see's Arlong's nose resembled of a jagged sword fish's nose.

"Well, well what do we have here?" he questioned. His man told him the same story Lia lied to them about. "Is that so, that's rather a cruel prank your friends did to you." Arlong implied. Lia shrugged. "Oh well what can you do. Since that's been settled, I was wondering have any other humans besides us sailed here by chance?" she asked

"That depends little miss. Not long ago I was meeting some. Could you describe who it is your looking for." Arlong asked Zoro was losing his patience, "We're looking for a girl. No older then her." he said referring to Lia as she and Nami were in some what the same age.

Arlong hummed in annoyance, "Your friend here doesn't seem to have any manners." Lia sweat-dropped as she kicked Zoro. "He's still a little miffed about the whole ordeal we went through." Lia quickly excused, Zoro growled at her, she gave him a face saying 'watch it or you'll give us away'.

He rolled his eyes at her before glaring back at the said fishmen. "Just answer her question, have you seen a girl come by here? Yes or no you half fish bastard." "Will you cool it!" Lia seethed at him trying her best to maintain her composer.

Arlong laughed, "Wow, for some one I would consider a meal. Either your really stupid, or you've got a lot of guts to talk like that." he then started to monologue how fishmen are better then humans in ever way. _'And I thought the human nobles were egotistical.'_ Lia mumbled in thought.

"I don't know if this will make any sense to that puny brain of yours up there. But fishmen are the second lords of all creatures. To defy against us, is to defy against nature." Arlong finished. "Forgive me for asking, but second?" Lia lifted a brow.

"No need for apologies, as mush as our race is superior then you humans. We in fact admit defeat to the fair folk. As they are able to make the impossible a reality. And unlike you humans, we fishmen have connections to them. Giving us the higher advantage of this world against you." Arlong bragged. 'Sheesh, you make us sound like tyrants.' Lia thought disgusted.

Then a familiar voice came into the scene. "I'm getting real sick and tired of your stupid self-righteous lectures Arlong." Both Lia and Zoro were taken back when they saw the very person they were looking for come out in the light.

"Nami, why must you be so serious? You know I wasn't talking about you. Your different from other humans, our very special navigator and valued member of this crew. Always have been." Arlong explained. "Save it, compared to me I'm the smartest out of all of you, with out a doubt." she retorted.

Zoro seethed the the sight before him, "Why the hell did he call you his navigator Nami. You can't honestly expect us to believe that you work for this freak!?" Lia just stood there starting at the said woman with no reaction.

Then Arlong asked, "You know these two Nami? Are they friends of yours?" Nami scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous. They're just a pair of idiots I tricked so I could take their treasure with out them being the wiser." she stated walking over to the two, kneeling down to Zoro.

"But for them to actually follow me all the way here... proves that they're bigger morons then I've taken them for." she slyly smiled at him. "So this is the real woman you really are. And to think you had us going that you couldn't stand the very mention of Pirates." Zoro growled, his tone dripping with venom.

"Well...you two thought wrong, it was all an act. And fell for the whole thing." she brought her arm over for us to see. On it was a tattoo, but not just any tattoo. It was the mark of Arlong's crew. "I'm a pirate myself, plain as day..." she stood up and looked over to Lia who just stared back. "And a the navigator for Arlong."

 _'Your actions and word say one thing Nami, but your heart and aura tell me other wise. What are you trying to hide?'_ she wondered, as she and Zoro stared/ glared at the woman she laughed maniacally.

 _ **To Be Continued...…..**_

 _Please comment_

 **HELLO! Hey everyone! Sorry for keeping you guys waiting but things came up and I'm sure you guys have heard about the stupid virous going around making businesses including my job at work a hassle. (Don't ask, I don't even want to start). So I hope you all can understand, I'll work on the next chapter as soon as I can. Until then See ya!**


	15. Voyage 13

Back with the group at sea, Luffy and Yosaku were still fighting over the food. "And I thought Chester and Lester were weirdos." Prilla mumbled, then she felt uneasy again. And this time she heard a sound. Sanji noticed it this time to.

"Hey quiet you two." he gets up and looks over the ship to the water. "There's something down there." he warned. The sound kept going, soon Prilla recognized it. "Oh I know that sound, I hear it all the time back on the 'Grand Line." As she went over to the edge with Sanji, something burst out of the water.

Yosaku screamed while Luffy just stared at it. "What the hell is that?" "A sea monster!" Yosaku yelped. Prilla went over and hit him on the head, "Don't be mean! It's not a monster, it's a sea cow." she stated. "Sea cow?" Luffy questioned.

"But cows don't swim, a hippo maybe?" Sanji guessed. "Are you blind? I just said what it is. Though I am wondering why it's in the East Blue. They're only indigenous in the 'Grand Line." Prilla exclaimed. Then Izzy squeaked something to her. "Good Idea Izzy, lets ask him." she unfurled her wings and flew up to the cow.

"AHH! What are you doing little sis!? It's gonna eat you!" Yosaku shouted, soon he was met with a foot in the face, "Shut up, I'm sure Prilla knows what she's doing." Sanji claimed. As soon as Prilla was up to the cows face, it's attention was to her now.

"Hi there, I'm Prilla. And as you can see I'm a fairy. Can you tell me why your in the 'East Blue and not at your home in the 'Grand Line?" she asked. The sea cow started to make more mooing and gowning sounds. "He, must be pretty neat to be able to take to animals." Luffy laughed. "Well Fairies do have a good connection to nature so it's only natural." Sanji said.

"Okay thank you." Prilla turned to the guys. "He said his name is Momoo, he was brought here to the East Blue by the fishmen. He smelled our food and got hungry, he miss lunch." she explained. "Oh is that all." Sanji went over to the table and took the dish with the meat.

"Hey what are you doing Sanji this is our food!?" Luffy yelled, mortified that the cook was giving away the meat. "Didn't you hear Prilla? She just said that this thing was hungry, probably can't catch food for itself yet since it's in a different environment. Is that right?" he turned to the cow in question. "Your and idiot." Yosaku deadpanned.

Prilla flew over to him. "Can I give it to him?" she asked with hopeful eyes. "Why not." Sanji smiled at her, handing the plate over. She beamed and happily took the dish and flew up to Momoo. "Here you go Momoo, eat up." lifting the food over the said cow, it opened it's mouth for her.

One it did, she dropped the food in, and the creature ate it with ease. Soon it smiled and made noise again. "He says it was really good, and thanks the chef." Prilla proclaimed. "Thanks for the complement." Sanji said. "Hey." everyone turned to Luffy. "Prill didn't you say this thing was brought here by fishmen?" he asked.

"Yeah." she nodded. "That's perfect! If it came her by fishmen then it would know where the island is and maybe take us there!" he stated with a smile. "That would make this trip easyer, if this thing will pull the ship there." Sanji thought.

"Hold on, do you really think this thing will willingly take us to Arlong?" Yosaku asked baffled. "Wont hurt to ask." Prilla shrugged, flying over to Momoo once more. "Hey Momoo," the cow turned to her. "We were wondering, could you take out ship to the island the fishmen are on? We're looking for a friend of ours who might be there. So could you please?" she gave him her 'bambi eyes with plea.

How could anyone or creature say 'no to that face, Momoo happily mooed with a smile. Prilla smiled as well. "Oh thank you!" she cheered, hugging his nose. Blush appeared on his cheeks. Prilla looked over to her friends. "He said he will guys!" "All right!" "Better get ready." Luffy and Sanji said.

Yosaku just stared in shock at the little fairy girl as she landed back on the ship. "You make things look so easy." he gaped. Prilla just smirked at him. "Well obviously, I am a fairy after all."

Meanwhile back in Arlong park, Zoro was fuming at the woman he and Lia were looking for. The woman who lied to them and laughed in their faces. "Do you two get it now? I was just using you for my needs. I'll admit you were skilled enough to help me, but boy were you stupid to not see it through." Nami laughed, seeing the angered look on Zoro's face.

"It was just a scam all along. And you enjoyed lying to our faces as your time with us went on." Lia implied. She noticed Nami flinch a little when she said that, recalling that her kind can see the truth in one heart.

Then Arlong burst into laughing, "She sure fool you guys huh!? Not that I'm surprised, Nami is cold blooded to the core. She even betrayed her own family for money when she joined us. So you shouldn't feel all that bad." when Arlong said that, Nami flinched again, this time making a painful face. As if she were full of regret then cruelty.

Both Lia and Zoro saw this, giving Zoro an idea. "If I were you two I'd just give up and forget ever meeting her in the first place." Arlong suggested. Zoro laughed, making Lia and Nami turn to him in confusion.

"As if I need help with that. Right from the start I knew this woman did have what it takes to be trusted. Hell if she were really a serial killer that wouldn't surprise me in the slightest." he smirked, looking at Nami.

'What are you plaining Zoro?' Lia pondered. "If that's the case with you, then why don't you just beat it and get out of here? I'm tired of seeing your mug!" Nami scorned. Zoro smirked at her, then out of no where he kicked off launching himself into the water.

Lia and Nami were taken back at this, Lia tried to go after him but was stopped when one of the fishmen held her in place. "Anybody got any ideas why that punk jumped into the sea?" she heard one of them question. "Ha! He probably got scared of Nami and wanted to get away from her!" one laughed.

"Can't say I blame him, she can be scary when she's mean." "Maybe he really was trying to escape from us." "If that's the case, then why did he try when his arms and legs were tied up. If you ask me that's suicide." "Aww, I was looking forward to killing him." "Just leave him." Arlong said.

Nami just stood there staring at the water, shaking in fury. _'What do plan on doing Nami?'_ Lia wondered looking at her then to the water. _'I hope you know what your doing Zoro.'_ she prayed. Just then, she saw Nami jump in. 'What the?' all was quiet for a minute, then Nami came back up with Zoro in toe.

"Their back!" one of the fishmen said. 'So that was his plan, he was testing Nami. Humph, and I thought I was the cheeky one here.' Lia mused. "What.. The hell...do you think your...doing?" Nami panted, trying to catch her breath.

"I should... be the one... to ask you... that question." Zoro heaved. Turning his head to face her with a smug grin on his face. "You really should stop pretending, in reality your just a soft little girl who can't bare to watch a man die huh? But next time, try to be a little faster. I thought I was a goner for sure for a sec." he laughed.

Nami seethed at him, angered even more that he tricked her. She got up and stomped her foot hard on his back. "You Bastard!" "Hey! Leave him be!" Lia yelled at her. "Pull that stunt again and I'll be sure you die next time." Nami threatened at him.

But Zoro just laughed more. "Oh really?" "That's quite a lot of bandages, must gotten hurt pretty badly from a fight huh?" _'What is she getting at?'_ Lia wondered. "Naw, I forgot my shirt. I put these on so you wouldn't get embarrassed like Lia. You should have seen her face when she was putting them on me." Zoro joked, grinning at Lia who started to blush.

 _'Oh when this is over, I'm gonna teach you a lessen your gonna regret.'_ Nami got annoyed to, as she punched him in the gut. Making him doubled over in pain. As he was down, she started to walk away. "Leaving so soon Nami?" Lia asked.

The said woman stopped, slightly turning her head to the woman. "You clame your a cold hearted pirate yet you take your time to save those you tricked? I now question your reasons." Lia smiled at her. Clenching her teeth, Nami walked over and gave Lia a good slap in the face. The sound practically echoed through out the area. "Shut up wretch!" Nami hissed.

"Watch it." Zoro growled. But Nami payed him no mind as she went back to leaving. "Tell me Nami, what should we do with them?" Arlong asked. "Lock them both up! Until I have the time I'll deal with them myself." she claimed.

"Arlong! Hey Arlong!" One of the fishmen that captured Lia and Zoro came running in. "Yes? Well spit it out what is it?" Arlong asked. "Right, well you see these two didn't come here alone. A long nose creep was with them but he got away. I think he's somewhere in Cocoyashi village?" the fishman assumed. _'Usopp you idiot, you leave us to get caught only to be found yourself?!'_ Lia scolded.

While Arlong and the others were distracted, Lia kicked a small pebble to Zoro, getting his attention. Tapping her foot so only he could hear, she coded him saying; "I'll go and look for Usopp. Try to stay put till I get back."

He nodded, using his foot to code her back he said; "Alright but be careful. And try to not do anything I wouldn't do." he joked at the end smiling at her. Lis chuckled a bit to as she quietly pulled out something from her pocket. It was a small colorful crystal.

The thing about this crystal was that it could create illusions of those who posses it. Zoro remembered it well when they were kids, she use to use it to play pranks on him and the other kids back at the dojo. Activating it, she made it seem like she was still tied and held by the fishman. But really she slipped away and ran off from Arlong park as fast as she could.

When she got to a good distance, she stopped to catch her breath. While taking a moment to herself. "Ugh, I feel disgusting." she said seeing she hasn't cleaned up for a while. Using magic she chanted. "Enhserf pu dna nethgiarts pu." Suddenly her cloths changed into clean ones.

"That's better. Now to see if Prilla is still here." Unfurling her wings, Lia flew off to the 'Going Marry. When she found it, she wasted no time to fly down to the greenhouse. 'Nami may have locked it, but the thing about the key to the house..' Lia reached down to her pocket and pulled out a key. 'It will always go back to it's real owner.'

With that in mind, she unlocked the door, however on the other side she only found her tusted partner, Sakura. "Sakura, where's Prilla?" she asked. The dragon shifted to her human form. "After Nami had locked us in, she went over to the potions and spells lab to create a transportation spell. I can only assume that she's with Luffy and the others." the dragon woman informed.

Lia nodded, "Good at least she's safe. Now we just need to find Usopp before Arlong dose. But first lets get my swords and stock up on some tool, then we'll leave." Sakura nodded as they both went in the green house together.

As Lia and Sakura were getting ready for a future fight; Prilla, Luffy and the others were on their way to their destination. "WHHHHHOOOAAAA." Luffy cried out in excitement. "There it is! Arlong Park is just straight ahead!" Yosaku called out. "Yeah! Go Momoo!" Prilla cheered as she road on his head. The said sea cow was happy the young fairy was having fun.

"Right! Faster to Arlong Park!" Luffy roared. The speed the cow was going was making the ship bounce off the water and into the air repeatedly. "Nami hang on, we're coming." Luffy said with hope. "I hope we don't keep Li and the other waiting, she can be impatient sometimes." Prilla stated. Izzy nodded her head in agreement.

After loading up, Lia felt a presents that she wasn't familiar with, a presents that's asking her to come over to where its is. "Sakura I need to be some where, could you go look for Usopp for me please?" she asked her friend who was back to being a dragon.

Sakura nodded to her, and with that she flew off to where she was being called to. Through the air she search the presents, till she finally found it. Just a ways from a village was a house with a tangerine grove. Landing she went up to the door and knocked gently.

"Hold on I'm coming." said a voice. The door opened to revile a woman no older then her, but with tan skin and pale lilac hair. She also had a very interesting tattoo on her chest and on the right side of her arm. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"Sorry to bother you, but I couldn't help but pass by." Lia said. Looking over the woman's shoulder, she found a picture frame on a little table, in it were three people. Two were little girls and the other was an adult woman with a cigarette in her mouth. One of the little girls Lia recognized completely. "Is this Nami's house?" she asked. "You know Nami to?"

"To?" Lia questioned. "Yes, before you a lyerish man was here looking for her. Claiming she was his friend." the woman explained. "Did this man happen to have a long nose by chance?" Lia asked. "Yep." that was all the woman said.

"By Avalon, Usopp...what were you doing?" Lia groaned in aggravation. "If you don't mind me asking but who are you?" the woman asked Lia. "Oh I'm sorry for not introducing myself. I'm Lianara, but you can call me Lia. I'm a friend of Nami's" she said.

The woman frowned, "Friend huh? Well...you seem like a good person, so I'm glad she who's someone like you. But if you truly are her friend, you'd do the smart thing and leave her alone and sail off this island. The last thing she'd want is..."

"Lose someone she holds dearly to a monster." Lia finished. Taking the woman off guard. "So, you've been down that road to huh?" she guessed. "More then you or Nami can even imagine, Sorry for asking now but exactly who are you to Nami?" Lia asked.

"I'm her older sister, well foster older sister. I'm Nojiko." she said. Lia faintly smiled at her. "Well then Nojiko, could you tell me Nami's story?" she asked. Nojiko did the same. "Sure, you seem like a reasonable person. Come on in." with that said, Lia followed Nojiko in the house.

Prilla was having the time of her life as she sat on Momoo's head. She heard Izzy (who was on her shoulder the whole time) make a noise and point up ahead. Prilla looked and saw a building with a stone wall around it.

"Luffy! I see a building up ahead!" she cried out to the said straw hat. "That's it! That's Arlong Park!" Yosaku exclaimed. As the location came more into view, Luffy grinned. "Yeah! Nami! Here we come!" however, Momoo started to slow down and weve to the sides. "Hey! Whats the big idea you cow!? Speed up would ya!" Luffy yelled.

As Prilla was on his head, she felt the surface of it heating up. "I don't think Momoo's feeling well Luffy!" she replied back. "Huh? What do you mean?" he asked. "Most sea creatures that can surface the water can only stay up for some time. Momoo's been for a while now and is already pass his limit. He's starting to get ill." the little girl explained.

"That makes scene since we're starting to drift from our course." Sanji pointed out. "That's okay, we're still within a good way from Arlong Park. We'll just stop to the side and walk from there." Prilla suggested.

"That's a good plan little sis but." Yosaku started to quake in his shoes. "The big lug isn't watching where he's going!" He pointed ahead showing the others that they were headed straight to a wall that framed the islands edge.

They all started to panic. "Prilla do something! Tell it to move out of the way!" Luffy yelled. "I can't! Momoo's so out of it he can't hear me!" she yelled back. But it was to late, Momoo collided with the wall, causing the ship to sling into the air and over the tree tops of the island.

Prilla held on to Luffy as he laughed, the others weren't so pleased with the action. Yosaku held onto the front rail while Sanji was backed up against the cabin wall. "Whoooooo! It's almost like we're flying!" Luffy cheered.

"Almost?!" Yosaku gaped in fear. "It's not almost you idiot! We are flying!" Sanji seethed. "No! We're falling!" Yosaku was right, soon they were below the tree line and were skidding across the surface of the land.

"Perfect landing!" Luffy smiled, "YOU CALL THIS A PERFECT LANDING?!" Prilla screamed at him. But he didn't pay her any attention. "Oh look it's Zoro!" Prilla looked ahead and saw Zoro looking at them back in shock.

Soon he was on the ship to (sort of) the glided across a rice field and were about to crash to a small cliff side. Thinking quickly, Prilla said; "Ho seert fo siht dnal, pleh su ton hsarc!" suddenly tree roots sprung out of the ground and wrapped themselves on to the ship. Making the vessel come to a calm stop.

"Whew that was a close one. We're here guys!" Luffy said brushing off his hat. Prilla jumped off and layed on the ground, "I never thought I'd be so happy to be back on solid ground." tears of joy and pure relief fell from her eyes same with Izzy.

They heard Zoro struggle getting himself unstuck from between the ship and the cliff. "What...The hell...Was that Luffy!?" he growled. Luffy just stared at him, and Sanji just sat on a rock next to him smoking. Yosaku cling to a tree with tears falling. "What do you mean? We came here to pick up Nami. Why haven't you found her yet?" Luffy asked him putting his hat back on.

Then Prilla looked at him, "And where's Li? Wasn't she with you?" she asked. "She wen't on ahead of me to look for... Oh Crap!" Zoro got up and started to sprint off. "We gotta hurry!" "What's the matter?" Both Luffy and Prilla asked.

"That Moran Usopp got caught by Arlong! If we don't hurry, he's gonna get killed!" Zoro panicked. "It's to late, he's already dead." greaved a voice. Everyone looked to see Johnny walking up the ditch the ship made. "What?!" Zoro said.

Johnny fell to his knees. "Big bro Usopp was killed." he punched the ground as he looked up to them. "NAMI...MURDERED HIM!" he shouted. The expressions of shock were on everyone's face.

Meanwhile with Lia. "And that's the story..." Nojiko finished. Lia rested her elbows on the table with her hands in front of her face. "To have such a burden on your shoulders at such a young age... No wonder she acted the way she did. Nami was trying to protect us so we wouldn't face Arlong's wrath."

"Now do you get it? If you or your friends even try to help, all of Nami's efforts would be for nothing and the pain she had since will grow even stronger." Nojiko clamed. Lia sighed as she leaned back. "I do, and I know what she's going through. Granted not in the same lines but I know what its like to lose someone you love get killed right before your eyes and have a great weight get placed on your shoulders."

Nojiko sighed as well, "So... What will you do now?" she asked. "Well I can't really do anything until my captain comes. All decisions are up to him." she then turned to Nojiko. "If it's alright with you, may I see Bell-mere? To pay my respects." Nojiko gave her a small smile. "Sure and...Thank you."

They both walked outside and Nojiko led Lia to a tall hill side that overlooked the sea. On the top of the hill was a cross grave marker. "I'll leave you to it." with that Nojiko left Lia with her mother's resting place.

Once she was fully alone, Lia sat down in front of the grave. "Hello Bell-mere. I wish we could've met at better terms but I have to say, You raise quite a strong woman. Nami is fighting her best for her home and people, I'm sure she gets her stubbornness to accept help from you but hey, that's what makes her so great huh? I'm sorry for what had happen to the both of you, but let me assure you; My friends and I will put a stop to this tyranny so you may rest easy."

Lia clapped her hands together and a light started to glow from them. Opening her palms, a small branch of tangerine blossoms grew, and she placed it at the base of the grave marker.

"Please accept this as both a fairy's blessing and a promise. For once this ordeal has passed, I promise that Nami will be safe from there on out, and that you may rest in peace knowing your daughters will live out their lives the way they dream."

"ARE YOU SERIOUS!?" Yosaku gaped. Johnny sat down with the group, "Yeah saw it with my very own eyes. From the beginning she tricked us, she only got close to Arlong so that she can take the hidden treasure in Cocoyashi village. Nami was nothing but cold blooded sceamer. A real-" He was intruppted when Luffy ran up and grabbed him by the shirt.

"SHUT UP! ANY MORE CRAP AND YOU'LL REGRET IT!" he threatened. "Luffy calm down, Johnny did nothing wrong." Prilla tried to coxe him. Johnny turned the other way, "Believe what you want, but I'm telling you Nami killed Usopp!"

"I said shut up! Never in a million years would Nami do that! Never to her friends!" Luffy screamed. "B-but I saw!" Johnny stuttered. "What was that about friends...Luffy?" said a voice from behind them.

Everyone turned to see the very woman they were talking about, she just stood there impassive holding her bow-staff. "Nami." both he and Prilla said. "What in the world are you guys dong here?" she asked in a unemotional tone. "We came here to get you, cause your our navigator. And our friend." Luffy stated simply.

Nami just scoffed to that, "How anouying... Friends huh don't make me laugh. Each of you are so pathetic that you deserve each other." she said harshly. "Nami, you-" Prilla was innterupted when Johnny got up and yelled at the woman. "Damn you! You murdrer, because of you...Big bro Usopp is dead!"

Nami just smiled, "Sure is, you plan to kill me back to get revenge?" she asked, surprising the bounty hunter. "A little word of advice guys...Because of Zoro's stupidity, Arlong is now after him and his 'crew to kill them. Not to mention that he wants Lia brought to him unharmed, my guess is that he figured out what she was. So no matter how ridiculously strong you guys clam, your no match for those monsters. I'm giving you a chance right now to choose between life or death. Cause I assure you, if you stay on this island...you will die."

'Nami, the more you lie. The harder and painful it's gonna be fore you.' Prilla thought, seeing the woman's heart was hurting. "NAMI!~ REMEMBER ME? IT"S SANJI! LET"S RUN OFF TO THE SUN SET TOGETHER!~" Sanji swooned. Prilla and Izzy sweat-dropped. 'Really?' they both face-palmed.

"Can it you moronic Romeo! This is not the time or the place!" Zoro growled. Prilla didn't pay any more attention to the conversation, instead she tried to contact her sister. After a few minutes, she heard a thud. Looking ahead she saw Luffy lie flat on the ground. "Big Bro!?" Johnny pipped worried.

"Sleepy. I need a nap." was all he said. "A nap!? At this time!?" Yosaku said gopsmaked. "I'm tired and it's been a long day, so I'm resting. I'm not gonna medle with their affairs, but I'm not leaving either." Luffy clamed, drifting off into sleep.

All the men just stood there staring at the boy. Nami watched to, then she clenched her gloved fist in anger. "Fine...WHATEVER! GO AHEAD AND DIE FOR ALL I CARE!" and she ran off. "The more she lies the more she feels pain." all the men except Luffy turned to Prilla.

"What do you mean little sis?" Yosaku asked. "We fairies are able to read human hearts. That way we can tell wether they're lying or not. And the whole thing of Usopp'd death was a full on lie." she exclaimed.

"You kidding me! I saw her stab him with my own eyes!" Johnny rebuked. "Ever heard of the saying, 'More then what meets the eye?" they did argue any further, soon both Johnny and Yosaku left not wanting to be there anymore. But Zoro and Sanji stayed since Luffy was staying. And what the captain says goes.

"So, what do you think?" Sanji asked the swordsman. "What do you mean?" he asked back. "I mean what do you think she was crying?" Sanji refrased. "Was she crying?" Zoro lightly scoffed. "In her heart she was. Nami may be good with hiding her emotions physically, but not mentaly." Prilla jumped.

"If she was, it would have been tears of guilt for putting Usopp threw that mess." Zoro barked, he turned to Prilla. "Prill, are you sure Nami was lying about Usopp?" he asked. the little girl nodded. "Of course she's right. Has little princess ever stirred you wrong?" Sanji asked in her defense, not that she needed it.

"All I'm saying is I thought of her as a small time crook that wouldn't bare to watch a guy die, let alone fake to kill him. Maybe she snapped or something." Zoro gussed. Then for some reason Sanji went offended, "What was that? NAMI IS NOT SMALL TIME YOU BASTARD!"

'What dose he mean by that?' Prilla wondered, not gettng what Sanji ment. "IS SHE ALL YOU EVER THINK ABOUT!?" Zoro got up to defend himself form the cook's kick. Then from the corrner of her eye, Prilla saw a familiar figure running up to them. "Um guys," But it was to late.

There in between Zoro's sword and Sanji's foot was Usopp's face. The said snipper whined in pain. "He is alive." "Well...was. I hope he still is." the men hoped, guilty for what they did they both steped away from the fallen man.

"You humans are such children." said a voice. They all looked to see, "Is that a dragon!?" Sanji jumped. "Yep, hey Sakura. What are you doing?" Prilla asked, walking up to the said reptile to hug her.

"I was assigned to look and bring the long nose back to Lady Lia. But seeing as your here now Little miss, all is fine." Sakura exsseded. Suddenly they heard Luffy cry out. "UUSSOOPP! Did nami do this to you!?" he panicked, shaking the poor snipper.

"Uh, that was me and Zoro's fault." Sanji admitted. "No it was you!" Zoro snapped. Usopp came to and turned to Luffy. "Luffy, your here." he wheezed. "Yep, so is Prilla." Luffy pointed out. "Good to see you Usopp." she smiled.

"I'm here to,~ Hello." Sanji smiled with a tease. Usopp flinched as he stood up and glared at him. "One of these days I swear I'll kill you!" he growled under his breath. "Would you look at that. You made a full recovery!" Sanji kept going with his joke. "SHUT UP BASTARD!" Usopp hollared.

"By the way, Johnny told us that Nami killed you. But I knew that wasn't the case." Prilla stated. Usopp gaped at her, "I knew he was spouting lies, but he kept on saying it!" Luffy fummed.

"In a way it is the truth Luffy." Sakura implied, joining the conversation. All men and Prilla turned to her confused, except Usopp wo nodded in agreement. "She's right, to tell you the truth. I'm alive, cause Nami saved my life." Usopp added. Everyone stood in silence.

After the paying her respects, Lia walked back to the house. She felt two familiar presents inside. Sighing she walked up to the door and opened it, only to find Nami sitting at the table with her head down resting and Nojiko sitting across from her.

Looking around she fond the entire place trashed and wrecked. "Let me guess, had a tantrum and couldn't hold it any more?" Lia spoke up catching Nojiko's attention. " *Sigh* Yeah, and I'm betting it has somehting to do with you and your friends." she claimed.

"Probably." Lia agreed, taking a spare chair and sitting with them. Nojiko looked back to her sister. "It's amazing that there were people who actually came here for her." she started. "It really hits you hard dosn't it. 'Friends... that word," Nojiko started to greave as well. "It just breaks her heart."

Lia could only look at the two woman. 'Nami, if only you knew how much we care for you and that I know your pain.'

 _ ** **To Be Continued...****_


	16. AN

Hello everyone, I know your expecting another chapter by now but please hear me out. I'm putting my stories on hold for now until I finish season one on my latest story 'My Hero Academia- Plus Ultima. Once I'm done with that I'll get back to writing the others. However instead of trying to update all my stories for you guys, I'm going to focus on one story at a time so that I'll more done that way. Because other then my stories to write, I have other stuff to do in my life. Other then work, I'm trying to be more involved with my family and getting stuff done 'for and 'with them. Not to mention this whole pandemic nonsense isn't making things easy either. I hope you all will understand continue to be patient with me. Once I'm done with my MHA story, I'll try to finish up on the current arc my Fairy Tail story is on and get started on another. When I'm done with that I'll finish up the arc my One Piece story is on and do the same with that. As for my Hazbin Hotel and Zoophobia stories, I'll try to write at least three chapters for each. Like I said I'll focus on one story at a time, I'm really really sorry for making you guys wait but I got a lot going on and dealing with the stress right now isn't helping much. I'm not going to stop if your worried about that, I'm just trying to pace myself. So I hope you'll still continue to read and vote. Please leave your thoughts and vote, motivation helps. Hope you all understand

Thank you :)


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